The Taguel State of Amnesia
by Kokiri-Hylian-Hero
Summary: There are many Outrealms, filled with stories regarding the war against Grima, an epic struggle, sometimes it ended in tragedy, sometimes victory, sometimes Grima would fall, but the heroes would face other great trials together; this is one such story. Yarne has awoken with amnesia and assassins are after him, his friends and sister will help him, but he soon finds himself alone.
1. The Hunt Begins

The State of Amnesia

**This is my disclaimer, so listen up! Warning: I do not own this…wait, what, warning? Ugh, forget it…this belongs to the ones who made the Fire Emblem…and started the **_**Fire Emblem**_** series, round of applause to whoever they are, you know all your names…which would probably a lot of names. **

The Hunt Begins

He woke by the side of the road, a calm girl humming and while she picked flowers, seeming content with all of life…which made him panic, mostly because she seemed content, and there was no way she could be calm, _he_ certainly wasn't calm, he had no sense of direction, no sense of self, he was surprised if he had any sense at all…but he did feel he was the saner of the two…him and this girl.

He didn't even remember this girl…though she did seem familiar, a ghost he had dreamt of before, or a ghost he knew he'd dream of, but as of yet she hadn't appeared, and that's when the name came to him, some soft pat on the brain, it seemed a pat and a whisper. Her name was Morgan…yes, now that their eyes met he saw who she was…someone close, but that's as much as he knew…which was weird, weird he knew her name while not even having memories of her, and weirder yet that she was close to him…he usually kept people at arm's length, not by choice, of course, but not many seemed to like him…or so he recalled…which was another thing he didn't understand, because as soon as their eyes met, her eyes lit up, that is to say, lit up more than they already were, "Bunny!" she shouted, knocking him down as he attempted to lift himself up.

"Hey, no, I'm not a bunny! I'm a Taguel…I think…I could be human, but for some reason—ah! My head, it hurts!"

"Yarne, are you okay?"

"Do I look okay, Morgan? Who are you, anyways?"

"Wait right there, you just said my name, just then!"

"Yeah, I know, but who are you to me? I feel like you're a phantom from some bygone hamlet, and I feel as though I've seen you before! As though we were destined to meet, or something scary like that...please, I beg you, don't send me on some quest to kill something!"

"Well, you were born a couple of years after me, so it makes sense…okay, maybe not, we've already met, right? Oh no, are you amnesiac?!"

"Well, considering I always had a weak constitution, I'm probably a little bit of everything, or most at least I've once had any one of the diseases that come to mind…I'm sorry, this isn't real, see, you'd know that by know."

"Amnesiac means you have no memory of yourself…except a few things, of course, you remembered me, after all!"

"Yes, I did…I didn't remember what amnesiac meant though."

"That doesn't matter, Lord Lucina will be here any minute, we must prepare for her arrival, so I'll make tea!"

"And I need some sort of medicine or something, I feel like my brain will explode."

"Don't worry, we'll get through this, we're family after all, and it's what our parent would want…I miss them." Yarne looked up as he heard her whimper, which hurt his ears in every way, and hoped she wouldn't cry, but she did, not much at first, but that changed soon.

"Hey, don't cry, you said it yourself, we'll get through this together, what're siblings for, anyways?" he asked quietly as he gently held her, which actually made him feel less like crying than he did a moment ago.

"Yarne, Morgan, where are you?" a heavily armored knight asked, her eyes soon picking out the silhouette of Yarne leaning against the tree, which made her smile, "Vigilant as always, I presume?" earning a shout of surprise from her audience, "Hmm, guess not, hey, Yarne, where'd you're sister go?"

"She's asleep…are we really good friends?"

"No, why'd you ask?"

"No reason, I just feel alone, Morgan's the only one I remember." Upon hearing this news the knight ran back the way she came, reappearing to find Yarne standing on shaky legs, "Why'd you run and leave me alone for, Kjelle?! Why didn't you stay, I thought we were being set upon!"

"It's worse than we feared, then." A blue haired woman said to Kjelle.

"And yet he remembers my name." she replied.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on, Lucina?!" Yarne cried desperately, grabbing the blue haired girl by her shoulders as he did.

"Yarne, do you remember the others? Of course you do, but we didn't expect that…Yarne, you're in danger, do you remember that?" Yarne closed his eyes and remembered a large city, he was walking alone at night when he saw three men in his path, he turned around and found himself surrounded, but he had his beaststone and transformed, then charged through enemy lines…and that's the extent of his memory, when he opened his eyes Lucina had just tilted her head after finishing speaking, "Yarne, are you with us?" she asked.

"Of course I am, it's just a lot to take in."

"You have us to support you, now settle for the night, alright?"

"If I can settle to save my life, my nerves are just so…unnerved."

"Well, that's okay, but, umm, could you let go of my shoulders? You're going to be fine, okay?"

"Fine, fine." He said reluctantly as he entered a tent Morgan had set up. He looked around and saw a picture of a smiling man in robes that had three scary eyes sewn into the fabric, the were outlined with purple and had a regal air to them, he held hands with a Taguel woman, who appeared to be in the middle of laughing, similar to the man in the picture. Yarne stared at it a while before Morgan spoke, "They tried to-"

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Morgan, what are you doing here?!"

"Sorry, sorry, I'll be leaving."

"No, wait, that wasn't what I meant just…don't give me a heart attack, okay?"

"Ha, ha, okay, if you must insist."

"You sound just like him when you say that, you know."

"I know." She said, losing herself in a flood of memories.

"Ah, no, please don't cry again!"

"I've got this, just…give me a minute…okay, now what was I going to say? That's right, see, we were going to have them look at us while they held hands, but Father said that it felt as though he was holding the canvas's hands and not Mother's, and then he said that he could just stare at the canvas for hours, at which mother gently nudged his shoulders, I told them to hold still, and then they went back to holding hands…until Father curled his fingers inward, ha, ha, Mother gave him that scared bunny look, and he gave the feather happy archer look, she tried so hard not to laugh, but couldn't help it, I told him to cut it out before I painted his face black and blue, and he stopped acting up, then _she_ tickled his palms, and I told her that the same applies, then you…you said I was just like both of them, stern like Mother, but fun loving like Father, and…and they both laughed, that quiet, small laugh you see there…I wanted to always have them laughing…oh, gosh, sorry." She said as she started crying again.

"It's fine, I miss them too, I wish I could remember them like you do, but I don't."

"But you will, I'll see to that!"

"Morgan, you don't have to worry about that…what ever happened to them, anyways?"

She looked up at him sadly and he remembered instantly, "Yarne, they…they-"

"It's okay, I remember now." He said as he supported her…or maybe she supported him, he only knew he wasn't use to hugging the little people, he was always the little person, the change was different and it made him feel as though he could maybe live through whatever was chasing him, "Morgan?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for always looking out for me, I'll be sure to survive with you guys watching my back!"

"I hope so, you are my brother after all, so don't even give it a thought, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"So she's in charge, now?" a Lucina asked quietly.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I was just kidding, you're still in charge."

"It's fine, I was just kidding, but Severa was looking for you, says you might have memories that could affect battle performance, and that she could help jog your memory…in case you've forgotten, she's not the most sweet tempered little angel out there."

"Um, okay, I'll take that under advisement, so, where is she?"

"For now, asleep, tomorrow she wants to speak with you, somewhere the assassins won't hear."

"Ah, assassins, no one mentioned my nobility!"

"Ha, you're not royalty, don't worry…we actually got really close to stopping them, but failed, resulting in you becoming amnesiac."

"On top of everything else, I feel like my world's been smashed, and then replaced with an unfamiliar one!"

"Well, you'll remember enough tomorrow, I hope, until then you must remain calm."

"Remain calm…remain calm?! And you claim to be my friend, but I never told you to never tell me to be calm?! Unthinkable, but I'll tell you now: I cannot be calm when you tell me to be calm under these situations, because it means things are only looking dimmer!"

"Hey! Stop yelling at me, I'm right in front of you!" Lucina said, gently pushing him away.

"Sorry," he said meekly, "it's just…I'm scared."

"I know, you've always been…skittish, for lack of a better word, I should be the one apologizing, I shouldn't have yelled."

"But you've been under a lot of stress, lately," Kjelle said as she stood outside the entrance of the tent, "haven't you, Lucina?"

"Wait," Yarne said, "Morgan called you Lord Lucina earlier."

"It's just her way, Yarne, but Cynthia calls me Lucy, so everyone's different in some ways, but there is one unifying element, and that is that we are all friends, and I won't lose you to some assassins."

"The lethality of their attacks is not lost to us; we almost lost Severa to them today." Kjelle said sadly, and for some reason, Yarne felt lost and confused, he didn't know why, he only vaguely remembered anyone here, but Kjelle's news pained him worse than extinction ever could, perhaps he would remember his friends soon, and then he would know everything in his life that he ever lost.

Yarne arose early in the morning, not sure if this was the usual hour for his awakening or not, but he was awake now, haunted by flashes of lightning and arrows from shadows, he wasn't sure that those were memories or fear induced nightmares, and he was afraid of anything that can scare anyone. He strolled along the road, arriving at a slow stream, calm and steady, like breathing, except it didn't change pace as his heart did. He heard breathing, light and calm, but it was controlled and rugged, as though someone took great pains to find him…of course they were here for him, they always were, he felt that that was a certainty. He took a slow breath and calmly, very calmly focused, feeling the shriek that was rising deep within his chest, in his lungs, rising to his throat, but he subdued it and clambered up the tree, then crawled onto a limb for a better view of what waited below, when he saw a girl red pigtails. He didn't know if adjectives were his strong suit, but his first thought was that she was beautiful, the second was that she looked capable of handling any foe, the third was that she was injured, the fourth that he should probably help her, the fifth that she could be an assassin, and the sixth, well, he didn't get to that before the bough broke and he came tumbling down the branches which had afforded him such an excellent vantage point while keeping him invisible. The girl drew he blade and turned, stomping her foot down solidly as he looked up, his ankle sprained and his body belly down. Her sword was poised over his head as their eyes locked, for what Yarne believed to be the last time, the venom in her eyes being enough to drain him dry of blood, but she held with her blade over him, ready to bring it down, she stopped and resumed her ragged stance, sheathing her blade with the worn expression he noticed from the trees, "You shouldn't scare someone like that." She said as she assumed a half venomous stare.

"S-sorry, I just thought…wait…Severa?!"

"Huh?" she managed as she turned back to him as he leapt forward and hugged her, managing to stay on his foot before he remembered it was sprained, and realized he had been leaning on her the entire time, sending both of them down, but she pushed him off sat back as soon as they landed, despite her weariness, "Get off me, rabbit!" she said, trying to keep the exhaustion out of her voice.

"Sorry, Severa, but I'm just so glad to see you, I thought you were an assassin."

"Well, don't get too comfortable, we can't afford to let your guard down, now, tell me what you remember."

"Well, this is the twentieth time I've sprain my ankle, other than that and what I've told the others, nothing."

"And what did you tell them?"

"Only that I could remember their names, and my parents…for the most part."

"Oh, well that's close to worthless, but we'll get your memories back, you can bet your long bunny ears on that."

"I'd really rather not."

"Ha, and that's why…never mind."

"No, what, tell me, please."

"I was about to say that was why you lost your memories, but I wouldn't want someone to come up and start poking at my injuries, but don't worry, there'll be time for that to."

"Ouch…who knew words could hurt so badly?"

"Ha, you did, well, now, anyways."

"Yeah, sure…speaking of pain-"

"Stop whining and show me your ankle."

"You have a shrilly voice."

"What did you just say?!"

"Nothing, I meant you had a ringing voice, shrilly was a mistake, a bad choice of words for, uh, how did she say? A lack of a better word, that's why, I don't want to end the Taguel!"

"That had better been what you meant."

"Sorry! I'm really, really sorry!"

"Then stop with all the apologizing, my feelings aren't crushed as easily as yours are, Yarne."

"Sorry…I'll stop talking now."

"I wish you would, I really, really do."

"I do too."

"I think you messed this up pretty well, maybe Brady could fix this, if he didn't also sprain his ankle earlier…you'd think men were made of twigs or something!"

"I do."

"Stop saying that."

"Saying what?"

"Idiot, stop saying 'I do', that's what!"

"I will!"

"Stop that, unless you want to be the last Taguel!"

"I don't!"

"Of course you wouldn't." she said tiredly.

"I didn't mean it like that, I mean, you're a nice girl…okay, that was a lie, we both know it…you're cute?"

"What's making you say that?!"

"Nothing, just…I don't think I've ever been in a break up before, it's awkward."

"We're not breaking up!"

"That's a relief."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I don't want to be broken up…in any sense of the phrase, I mean, it's not just that, I don't want to break your heart, either."

"Stupid, bad time to annoy the one about to carry you back to camp!"

"Sorry, I'll shut up now."

"I wish you would."

"I…am about to do that right now!"

"Good."

She was exasperated, he could tell, but she still did her best carry him back, which was not managed without difficulty, especially considering his frame was slightly larger than hers, though that was mostly because of his Taguel heritage.

Grome and Brady stood arguing and shoving each other outside a medical tent when Severa stumbled out of the woods, holding the weight of Yarne and using his height to steady herself, and using her own strength to keep either from falling. The two men stopped shoving each other and ran to Severa as soon as they saw her, "Severa, what in the world were you thinking?! You could've been hurt worse than you are now!"

"Brady's right, you were rash for that, but thankfully Yarne found you, albeit without informing us first."

"He's right, Yarne, next time you want to find a missing patient you come to us and tell us what's up, right? It was a foolhardy thing, searching for her without backup, if the assassins were out there…who know what could've happened."

"I actually thought she was an assassin, and I was looking for her, I was just trying to sort things out."

"Oh." The two replied at once, then turned and began hitting him with a barrage of criticism, emphasizing the dangers of leaving the camp without telling some where he would go and how long he wanted to be gone until someone searched for him, until Severa snapped at the two, dropping Yarne as she did, "Look, if he wants to go out into the woods, then fine, he has good hearing he can fend for himself, and the camps not even that far away, and I can look out for myself, just because I have a few wounds from those idiot assassins doesn't mean I can't yell for help, or maybe kill them all and drag my sorry self out of the woods and back to camp afterwards, so stop treating me and Yarne like we're babies!"

"Yeah," Brady said, "she has a point, I was just scared because you're not completely healed just yet, and Yarne lost his memories, so who knows what kind of trouble he had gotten into out the alone."

"I was just concerned that you might tear whatever stiches you needed," Gerome said, "I was on patrol at the time, and no one told me if you just had to stand under the staff for a while or what."

"Well, since you two actually had reasons, I'll let you off this time. Yarne, now's no time for a nap."

"I'm not napping, you dropped me."

"Don't be a baby, get up, Gerome, carry him back to the medical tent, I'm going to sleep, lugging him around was tough." She said as she left Yarne with Gerome, who sighed despondently as he lifted the Taguel and held him over his shoulder, alarm appeared on his face as he saw the medical supplies were outside a tent which was being taken down, "Brady, can you come up with an excuse for the medical tent being disassembled?"

"Yeah, we're on the move again, we have to get to Mount Prism and ask for Naga to send us home, so let's go, you put him up on the Justice Wagon and Laurent will drive, meanwhile I'll instruct Yarne on how to treat his foot and attempt to speed up the healing process."

"I just need to know, where's the Wagon?" as he asked a girl rode up alongside them in a strange vehicle which startled Yarne, "What is that thing?!" he asked as he wondered how it was able to move with no horses,

"This," the girl explained, "is a vehicle with a frame designed to keep passengers from falling out, and the hull wooden and reinforced with steel to keep arrows from hitting anywhere below the chest, with a magical ward set up around the entire space, to prevent magical attacks from harming them, but the ward doesn't stop any of the passengers attacks, magic or otherwise, thanks to Laurent's intense studies of magic wards, but if these ever falls into enemy hands, he has another spell that will destroy this little fella, so don't worry about it…and I heard you'd forgotten some things, so I'll introduce you, this is the Justice Wagon, and I'm Cynthia, we just got back from a huge war and epic battle, met the Tiki of this world, and our parents too, but then we had to go home to see what's going on there, but before we left Ylisstol we were set upon by assassins…or at least you were, but we take this personally, so they attacked us when they attacked you…with arrows and knives! They'll pay for that!"

"Um, did you say our parents were alive…Mom and Dad? Why can't I remember that?"

"We don't know, but they weren't at town, so they must be at Mount Prism, they must have wanted to see us off, so let's not waste time! Oh, and Laurent used the mental link he established with his mom to send her a warning about the assassins, so they'll be ready!"

"I'll get another chance to see them, then! Let's hurry!" Yarne said, bracing himself as they sat him in a seat in the back of the long wagon.

"Just wait one minute! This is lovely, Severa, where's the tea I bought?"

"I don't know, Inigo, maybe one of you girlfriends drank it all up." Said from her seat in front of Yarne's seat, looking back at Inigo, who was loading up some supplies and looking for his tea in the back, but resigned from his search as he decided it was lost.

"No, that's not it…well, doesn't matter, we're in a rush." He shut the doors to the trunk built into the back and stepped over to the door on the side and took and empty seat next to Yarne, "Then name's Inigo, in case you've forgotten me as well."

"Um, no, but okay." Yarne said as he reached for Inigo's hand, but stopped when Severa said, "Don't do that, I saw him spit on that before we started to battle Grima! Then he ran his hand through his hair, so just don't shake his hand, okay?"

"Ah! Are you trying to kill me?!" Yarne said as he slammed himself into Gerome in an attempt to distance himself from Inigo.

"Oh, come now, I washed my hands the other day when I bathed, I also washed my hands before breakfast, when I woke up this morning to clean my face, can't ruin my face with acne, now can I?"

"With your face, Inigo," Severa began, "well, I'm afraid there's nothing in this time to ruin your face worse than it is."

"Well, see, she agrees with—hey, Severa, stop that! Always the cruel one, never forget that, Yarne."

"Yes, Yarne, don't forget that I can't help but feel disgust towards anyone I meet."

"It really isn't her fault," The passenger next to Severa said, holding her bow with both hands as though it were her life, "her mother was perfect at everything she put her hand to, but Severa's found that the only things she could do would pale in comparison to her mom, it's sad, really."

"Noire, shut up! I don't think Yarne needs to hear that if he's already forgotten it once…there are some things not worth mentioning to the amnesiacs who are being hunted by assassins sent by who knows who."

"Well, he was bound to find out sooner, right?" Noire asked, and weakly laughed.

"No, he wasn't, not if he can't remember all the other stuff too."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine, Noire, just…that's in the past now…a past not worth going back to, but we should at least learn it's fate, it may be worth more than we think."

"Of course it is!" Inigo shouted enthusiastically, "We may have said before the past wasn't worth remembering or going back to, but after the other day when we decided that we had to go back with our work here done, we have to believe it's worth remembering! We must, it's the only thing we have to do, learn its fate, if that future's destroyed then we won't be able to return, but if it still exists…we fought Grima, his men hit us with arrows, gave us gashes bigger than I thought I'd ever survive, and now here we stand—s—sit, here we sit, and we will prevail against him the second time we meet! The foes here were stronger than before, so Grima will be cake if we see him again."

"You're beginning to sound like Lucina, and that's beginning to disturb me greatly," Severa noted, clearly annoyed, "we don't need two people being so…whatever you two are being, certainly not enthusiastic, I hope."

"Well, as long as I get to see our parents again, I don't think I care." Yarne said, trying to focus on not becoming downhearted.

"Fifty-four bottles of vulnerary on the wall, take one down, pass it around…how many bottles did I say?" Cynthia asked, removing one hand from the wheel, next to an obviously annoyed Laurent. Laurent rested his right elbow on the window, his cheek in its palm, and his entire form slumped into the back of the chair, he looked at the hand to the right of him, wondering if Cynthia shouldn't be steering with both hands, but answered with the rest of the adventurers, "Fifty-four bottles of vulnerary on the wall."

"Fifty-three bottles of vulnerary on the wall, take one down, glug it down, fifty-three bottles of vulnerary on the wall…how many, again?" she asked, Laurent raised an eye and turned to her, "You just said you glugged down the fifty-third, so how can there still be fifty-three in the last part of that verse…and which version are you singing to?"

"Umm, to be honest, it's more or less a bunch of both."

"Both of which versions, may I ask?"

"Yeah, sure, umm, both of every version I think of…there's a lot of them, you know!"

"Both is usually used when referring to two similar items, yes?"

"Well, the waitress at that restaurant asked if I wanted…something, something, or something else, and she didn't seem to mind when I said both!"

"I suppose that's fine, but can we stop singing this one, we've been at it for forty-seven bottles, too much medicine is poison!"

"But we're too young for beer, we'll get in big trouble, don't you think?"

"Cynthia…point taken, you like this song, and any excuse I have is countered, so I'll just say it, I'd like to sing a different song, because this one is one hundred verses long, has no substance to endure its own existence, and it's _tiring_!"

"Aw, I'll change it for you, then, Owain, turn the thing with the needle and the grooves on the disks."

"It's called a recorder." Laurent said, exasperated.

"Will do!" said the boy with a headband around his head and a large box on his knee, "Commencing operation: groovy disk needle…box. How about this one? Laurent sung through this one."

"I thought you said you replaced all verbal ones with the instrumental music disks."

"I said 'most' never said 'all', did I?" Owain asked, bemused by Laurent's expression, as he heard his voice replayed, which Cynthia sung along with, "Mary had a little lamb, little lamb," Laurent grimaced as he heard the voices of the others talking behind his, "Oh, please, make it stop!"

"Oh, come on, guys, it can't be good enough to put him through a second time!" Yarne petitioned, but Severa turned back to him, "You had to have been there, and he was actually enjoying the experiment, even that part when we were talking behind him."

"Then why is he so embarrassed now?"

"Good question, why are you so embarrassed now, Laurent?"

"Because it's just…childish as I look back."

"You've always been easily embarrassed," Inigo noticed, "try to leave that behind, think of it this way, that song is one of the few things we can take with us, no matter what time we travel to."

"I suppose so…you're right."

"How many bottles, now?!" Cynthia raised her hand, and again, Laurent wondered if she shouldn't have both hands on the wheel, when suddenly her hand slammed back to the wheel and slowly turned the wheel, swerving into the darkly cloaked warriors and increasing the speed of the vehicle, as Laurent blasted fire from his hands as Cynthia turned the wagon around until all the warriors were burnt, "Who were they?!" Yarne shouted.

"Assassins," Kjelle spat, "they're the ones who tried to kill you."

"But who did they know where to find us?" Yarne asked, at which point Owain pointed at the woods, "An outpost, they must've been waiting!"

"Oh, this is bad, if they can plan their attacks like this…how did they know?" Morgan asked, shaking her head.

"No time to worry now," the Manakete girl next to her said, "we've got to find out what they're after, I vote we take the outpost!"

"I'm with Nah on that," Morgan said, "do we storm the place or leave it? If we leave it they'll call reinforcements, after all, their men are down, but if we take the outpost then we'll have supplies, but then their friends might be expecting them to write, so they'll have a good idea of where we are, and the time frame for our arrival, plus we'll be slowed down some."

"Then let's stop debating and storm the place," Severa said, "no objections?"

"You and Yarne aren't in any condition to fight." Brady said bluntly.

"Fine, me and Yarne will stay, but you guys better wrap it up quickly, okay?"

"Too dangerous, if they're behind us too then it's better to take you with us."

"And if we do, and they are behind us, we'll lose the Justice Wagon, just because we couldn't stay behind."

"Then I propose," Owain said thoughtfully, "that some of us stay, while the others storm the place."

"Great, we'll do that," Morgan said happily, "now, who should I send? Laurent, you'll position in those trees and hit them with your magic, Gerome, call for Minerva and fly over the outpost, draw their fire if you can, we have short lances in the trunk that you can throw at them; Kjelle, you charge in around the back after he's drawn their fire, they'll probably try to take advantage of your heavy armor, so take some javelins; Noire, climb behind the front seat and let them have your arrows; Nah, take advantage of your expert flying skills and awesome firepower, let them have whatever you offer; Brady, you can hit whoever you want, but heal whoever you can; Cynthia, call your Pegasus and fly around and heal whoever needs it…maybe Brady should stay here? No, Cynthia might need him. Lucina, I want you to stay here, if there are more behind us we'll need you to act as our defense here, Inigo, you'll stay here too. Owain, you stand with Laurent and have his back, he's going to be in an easy target for archers…hmm, just stand at the base of the tree he's perched in and keep your eyes open, I'll stay here with my brother, if anything happens here I want to be here to help…Lucina and Inigo shouldn't have to protect two people and each other."

"So," Lucina began, "we aren't using the buddy system? I guess it doesn't have many advantages since we have to take this place quickly, huh?"

"That's my thinking."

"Then let's go." Lucina said, and everyone went to their positions.

"So, Severa," Yarne began, "how did we get in all this trouble?"

"I don't know, Yarne, let's just try to keep our eyes open, they could be behind us, so listen out, okay?"

"I can do that and talk…my little sister sure is smart, huh?"

"Yeah, she's a genius, just like her dad."

"That's not a bad thing, right?"

"Depends on who you ask, really, now let's focus, if someone's behind us we'd better be ready…and knowing where they are can't kill us, either."

"Yeah, I guess…I am the last Taguel, no offense, Morgan, I just meant that I took after Mother more than you."

"None taken, I at least have her memory, sadly that's more than you can say, I'd give about anything for your memories to come back, though there was a lot of scary stuff, maybe the fact you forgot isn't a bad thing at all."

"Yeah, that doesn't make too much sense, but you could be right, maybe it's a good thing…I hope it's not, I hope I remember!"

"Hey, don't worry, we'll find a way, there's a decent chance something will come back, and if not…we can make new ones for you."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Of course it is! And you'd say the same thing if I were in your situation."

"I know, but it's nice of you to say so. Someone's coming!" he said, tapping Lucina's shoulder, then pointing behind them. She nodded and she and Inigo climbed out the front of the wagon and Noire turned around and aimed through the back window and waited for a target to appear, meanwhile Yarne and Severa crawled up the row of seats and stayed low to the ground, but Morgan waited and glanced through the back view, her lightning tome open as she watched for anyone Noire didn't get first, "Lucina, Inigo, grab their attention!"

"Let me, Lucina," Inigo said as he stepped forward and shouted, "Hey, ladies, anyone up for a spot of tea?" as they drew their blades and charged at him he shrugged, "Guess not." He said as, between Noire and Morgan all of the assassins fell, except one, who was running to him until Lucina clambered up the wagon and stabbed down at him, "I was about to get him." Inigo said, putting his blade away.

"Well, you shouldn't try to leave everything else to us, then."

"I'm not about to step in Noire's way! So, what do we do now?"

"It looks like Gerome's flying over here. Laurent," she shouted at the mage who crouched on a branch, turning to her as he heard her, "what's the status of the field?"

"All clear!" he shouted as he and Owain ran to the wagon.

"Good. Inigo, hope in the seat, I'm driving."

"Everyone, sit down, Lucina's driving." Inigo said as he sat down behind the driver's seat.

"Hey, I've practiced some…I am actually quite capable, Laurent explained the magical manipulation, I may even have some tricks…but I won't try them, not unless we need them. Everyone ready?" she turned back and saw they were all seated and smiled as she raced over to where Gerome was.

"Lucina," he greeted, "we've taken the outpost, your orders?"

"Investigate, then we burn the building…I don't know what reaction that'll draw, but all we need is some fire."

"Alright, can I take Cynthia, Brady, Kjelle, and Laurent?"

"Sure, just return them in one piece, got it?"

"Sure, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Yarne watched as they went inside the building and watched, then turned to Severa, "How strong are we, exactly?"

"We're good enough, at first we could have been slowing down our allies, but the skills we learned from our parents in the alternate world we're from paid off…we may have actually reached the level of these people, and even surpassed our real parents, who died in the other world…we came here to stop that from happening, because we thought we could change things, clearly we weren't wrong, but now I think we're about to face another threat, possibly even more dangerous."

"And hardly anything could be more dangerous than fighting a large dragon, right? Yarne…we almost lost Dad to Grima, we thought he had died by killing Grima, but he came back…in the same spot where you woke up as an amnesiac."

"That's a scary coincidence…do you think I'll come back too? My memories, I mean."

"I already told you what I thought, try not to worry, okay? Oh, and maybe if you bash your skull against something then you'll jog some memories, though you probably wouldn't try that, huh?"

"I'm the last Taguel, I should be careful, you know?"

"I thought you'd say that…look, their burning the building, we must be about to leave."

"I hope we don't find more trouble."

"We probably will, knowing us."

"Guys, it's getting late." Inigo complained as he maneuvered the vehicle off the road, "Can we set up camp or something?"

"You're actually tired; so much for being a night owl." Cynthia said dismissively.

"Well, this is taking all the focus I've got, so yeah, I'm pretty beat." Severa tapped Morgan's shoulder and whispered, "Now that he mentions it, he is pretty when he's been beaten."

"Do you think so? I have to agree, he's pretty beat."

"I heard that, Severa!" Inigo shouted as he stepped out of the wagon and walked around to her window, "So, what're you going to do, yell?"

"No, umm I haven't thought it through, but…maybe…I'll think of something, maybe have you set up camp without help?" Morgan shook her head.

"Bad idea, she's going to need help, and you have to cool down, you have been favoring her with your bad jokes lately, and you invite her to tea far too often, and you keep asking why she declines far too often, she has her reasons, and sure, maybe you've got a bit of a crush on her, but trying out all those tactical angles only works when you're searching for enemy weak points."

"Hmm, you're right Morgan, thank you…I guess she wouldn't be upset if I invited you for tea sometime?"

"Uh, yeah, not going to happen, not in the middle of war…but does that mean you're my boyfriend?"

"Uh, n-no, not at all, just…tea? It's boring to drink alone?"

"Ha! I know you're trying to make her feel jealous, and I don't think it'll work anyways…plus you never really considered what would happen if I accepted and made a counter offer, did you?"

"And you think that exploiting that fact and making me feel like an idiot is fun?"

"No, I just think it's exhilarating, that's all."

"That's even worse, you know."

"I know, and you're so fun to tease, especially when you blush!"

"Ah, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, we should set up camp now." Morgan said happily, "Come on, Inigo, you can help me set up a tent, if everyone uses the buddy system, we should be less exhausted by time we're done, then we can eat!"

"Hey, Yarne," Noire stammered as she stepped up to him, "you want to help set up a tent?"

"Sure, what's wrong, though, you seem…a little different, not that I'd know."

"I just…I want you to know that if you're scared, you can borrow this necklace, it'll make you feel stronger…actually, no, you know what, that's probably a bad idea, Mother made this with me in mind, oh, you might turn into some monster!"

"Ha, you're right, that's be scary…you still seem off beat, though."

"Well, I'm scared for you, you might not remember, but we're actually pretty good friends, and I don't want to lose friends to these people, so I want you to be braver, okay? If you don't I'll have to…resort to more stylish means." She said, holding the gem on her necklace in the palm of her hand, then letting it go and smiling, "Now let's finish this one, then move on to the next."

"Okay, but I don't understand the thing about your necklace."

"I turn into a witch when I use this necklace, it's pretty terrible."

"Oh, I see…that sounds scary."

"You don't know half of it!"

"But aren't you usually scared of things too?"

"Not as often as you, nor to the extremities you carry your fears to, but I am weak like you, I collapse when I'm exhausted too, I do that often, which is why I favor the bow, it's a lot easier for me to run than fight, and to fight from a distance is even better…but I'm sure you'd fight well anyways, if you tried."

"I'll try to fight, then, I'll try to be brave."

"Good, because if you don't, well, as I've said I'll be forced to use some more stylish means of…motivation."

"Umm…I think we're done here."

"Yes, now, let's grab the next one and set it up." She said as checked the last peg on the tent to make sure it would stay. Yarne followed her and helped her pull out the last tent, when Severa and Lucina came back from their projects, "Take a break, Yarne, you're not recovered yet."

"Yes, I am, Noire should rest though, I heard she collapses pretty easily, the source is pretty reliable, too."

"He's right, Noire, you rest too, Princess, help me take this tent over there."

"Yes, ma'am." Lucina said, smiling at the irony of Severa ordering the princess around.

"No," Yarne said, "let me help too."

"Stubborn, aren't you? I said we'll handle it."

"But…I'm going to."

"Look, you check all the weapons, make sure everything's ready for the next fight, Noire can help if she still wants something to do, and you're still here, so I guess you're happy now?"

"Yes, come on, Yarne, the crates are over here." She said, leading him to where the weapons were kept. They sorted the weapons and talked little until dinner, most talk was of their plans when they woke and everyone's assigned tasks during that time, after they were done they went to their tents and rested for the night, but when they awoke, Yarne was gone.

Yarne stared at the ceiling of his tent when he heard more heart beats enter the campsite, he stepped outside, taking some medicine with him, and found that the assassins were creeping in from the shadows, he transformed with his beaststone and took down two of them, before the rest started chasing them, in his terror, he ran away from the camp, eventually leading them to a cliff, where he leapt backwards, and began kicking them off the edge, but the last one, the only one in black instead of dark red, took Yarne off the cliff with him, but as they fell Yarne grabbed the edge, but when his foe pulled out a knife he let go of the edge and kicked his assailant's hand, disarming his contender and feeling better that the knife was gone, and proceeding to kick off the wall, the sudden motion breaking the grasp and sending him into the crown of a tree, he fell through the branches and landed on his side, stunned from the fall.

**I think that's enough to get things going…by the way, this is my Author's Notes for the chapter, where I'm supposed to say that this story is for a competition issued by Jane Glass through her forum, "Writers Together", Yarne's supposed to learn assassins are on his trail, and that the children of the Shepherds cannot return to their time after the war with Grima…in this story the war with Grima is over, and they won't be able to get back, though the characters haven't realized it yet, but this isn't a one shot…it's not over yet! **

**Also, I had plot bunnies for this one, they popped up once, but I never figured how I'd integrate them…it's a romance for Yarne, so I'm happy JG told me it had to be about Yarne…the assassin thing gives me a reason to use plot bunnies that I had forgotten until I read the qualifications for her challenge, and a plot driver I would have never created myself, the run and chase thing feels very hard to carve from, but it presents a challenge to my writing skills, and will make the story better, if I am very careful.**

**I'm hoping for some friendly competition, even if I lose, I just want to see a little more **_**Fire Emblem: Awakening**_** fan work out there!**


	2. The Taguel Do not Play

The Taguel Do not Play

**Alright, this is where a pairing for Yarne is finally confirmed…not much of a surprise, considering Jane Glass (the one whose contest I'm writing this story for) told me I could pair him with the woman of my choosing, and…that's in this story, so you'll find out without me telling you, just in case you wanted to be surprised.**

Yarne had lost himself to unconscious from the shock of the fall, and in his mind something fell and clicked into place.

"Yarne, hey, glad you're here." Severa said, looking up from a book she was reading.

"Am I due for another verbal attack?"

"No, I actually wanted to thank you for stopping that Pegasus Knight, she had me cornered and her friends were closing, I don't know why I let her get that close to me…but it was still a foolish move, you could've been sliced twelve ways to winter!"

"Really, I didn't notice…though you had a strange look on I've never seen before, the one I imagine I often have, right before I feel my life flashing before my eyes."

"Hey, why do you seem so calm about that? You could've been dead! And I wasn't scared, so that dies here."

"That…didn't occur to me…I don't know why, I was just so fierce, I could feel how fierce I was, it was like me looking at an ideal vision of me, but the reason why I did what I did…I knew you could handle them, and it wasn't to speed up our battle progress, and it wasn't to fight alongside Dad, either, though it may have looked like I didn't see the archers at first and flew from them to the nearest warrior, but it was just…just to be close to you, I guess."

"W-what, it must've been my imagination; no matter how I wish it wasn't, but did you say…what I heard you say?"

"Umm, if it was...you said no matter how much you wish it wasn't your imagination, right? You mean that, right?"

"Well, I did help you become a better fighter, I should hope that counts for something."

"It wasn't that…there was something caring in the way you scolded me, like you didn't want to yell at me, but I here you enjoy being angry, so what's real?"

"Well, I guess…it's rooted deep into the world we came from, I had a argument with my mom, and the next day…the very next day-" Severa's voice trailed off as she tried to keep herself from crying, but couldn't and sank to the ground, Yarne sat down next to her.

"It's alright," he said as he place his arm around her shoulder.

"No it's not, I wasn't…what I said to her…it wasn't pretty. I told her how angry I was that she always watched out for Chrom, she always talked about him, or to him…I know she wasn't going to leave Dad, but when I asked why she always talked to Chrom…she knew how easily flustered I was, so she just said she was fighting to protect someone special…important…and that day I snapped, she snapped back…it was about time she showed she was human, but that meant mortal too, after our argument we agreed not to fight again, the next day I didn't wake up until she was…not coming back. I asked her how she became so perfect, asked her why I was even born, why they needed me around, every time the answer was in front of me, and every time I told myself that I couldn't be the reason she kept volunteering to spy on the enemy…we all have a different expression, she had told me once…a different way of saying what we need to. That night I asked her why I was there, she was trying to find a way to tell me, but knew I'd be too embarrassed to hear the answer, maybe even afraid I would become worse about the topic, and then I told her that it made things hard for me, having a war goddess for a mother, and she yelled and said she was only a human too, and that she didn't want to be perfect, that she wished people would see her flaws better, that was the only time I've ever seen her cry, the first time she looked human to me, every hour between that and the apologies was filled with fear for me, afraid that the only one I knew could win the war single handedly had been flawed, just because I asked her to be, and looking back, I thought that was the best translation for every word I said…and that scared me, I had always wanted to be powerful, to have whatever I wanted…and when I finally saw my wish granted, I didn't know what I would do next, I actually felt alone, which is weird, because Chrom's army hadn't been to war yet, everyone was still there…but the castle was invaded, the guards drove back the initial attack, but the Shepherds had been carefully targeted, five years later and the Risen returned with terribly powerful numbers, and we fled…I had never felt easy about leaving, but that world is filled with painful memories…but we're going back, aren't we?"

"Severa…does the Cordelia of this time know?"

"And I'll never tell her, it's too painful."

"Well, does anyone else know?"

"Why should they? They don't need to know how weak I really am, besides, if they did then they'd worry about me, and I don't need if we have more Risen to fight."

"Well, why me, then?"

"You asked me a question, I answered it, I never dreamed I'd become mean, but everyone who looked down at girl who couldn't be compared to her mom…they respected me…better, they feared me, if she was seen as a war goddess, I was seen as death goddess, they were afraid of me because I was young, no experience, no training, only raw power fueled by angry, and I always thought of how angry mother was when she heard how they made fun of me for never being able to even set a saddle on a Pegasus, much less soar like she did. Looking back, they got what they wanted, but I didn't, I wanted to be my mother, but I turned into a monster."

"You're not a monster, and I hear you stand up for Noire all the time."

"Well, she is weak, but it's not her fault."

"And I'm strong, but I be weak anyways, you've helped both of us, too."

"What are you trying to say, that I'm a nice person?"

"You try to be, so yeah, you're a nice person with mean habits, and I kind of feel like were a lot alike."

"Ha, of course we're alike, I push us both until we're better, and you remind us both of how fragile we are."

"We're perfect for each other!"

"What?! I was just agreeing that we were alike, so now what are you trying to say?"

"That, um…I like you, and uh, you okay?"

"Yes, I'm just trying to make sure I don't miss anything, continue."

"You look like you're angry, but if you're sure you're not then I have a question, will you be my girl?"

"Only if you're sure, once you're mine I'm not letting go."

"Alright, I'm yours!"

"That's what I was hoping you'd say."

"Ha, ha, you're cheeks are very red now."

"Shut up…just shut up…before I decide to give you a shave, then we'll see who's face is redder."

"We're some pair, huh?"

"Are you complaining?"

"No, I'm just wondering what Morgan will say, do you think she knows?"

"Of course she does, she probably saw this from miles away…which is kind of annoying, if we go back together now, Morgan will surely say something."

"And you'll probably say something too."

"Am I that predictable?"

"To Morgan, I'd be surprised if you weren't."

Yarne opened his eyes and recalled that he had just been falling, and that he had kicked off the face of a cliff, and something about a knife.

"Looks like I'll get my lucky rabbit's feet after all." Yarne heard a voice say, and when he turned he saw the dark red robes sailing along the ground like it was water, the figure in them chuckling, despite the scratches over the face and the soreness apparent in the arm and shoulder, "Quite a fall, huh?"

"You're still alive?!" Yarne yelled before he retransformed.

"Yes, I am, less than I can say for you in a few brief moments."

"No, you go extinct!" he yelled as he leapt forward, before turning around and kicking off of the assassin, and turning to see what the assassin does next.

"I-impressive…you are rumored to be the weakest of the Taguel, perhaps are incomplete brainwash backfired…but you will die, just not today." The assassin fled and Yarne retransformed, sat down, and rubbed his ankle.

"Did I just sprain my ankle again, or is it just sore? And where's camp…up the cliff. Let's see, umm, I guess I'll follow the cliff face until I find a way up." He said, wincing at the prospect of the long hike.

"He's not here either." Brady said as he looked under the Justice Wagon.

"Then we have to find him. Laurent, what do you think?" Lucina asked as the mage stood after inspecting the ground.

"I think our friend's gotten braver since he got amnesia, perhaps it's given him a sense of freedom, or obligation, whatever it is, he chased off an assassin invasion, it looks as though there were five of them, or ten, as indicated by the entry points, though it's possible there were more hiding in the woods."

"But you say he chased them out of here?"

"As certain as I can be, Lucina. Look at this impression, it's not human…I have never seen or heard of this sort of mark, but it's obvious that this ground was disturbed by a vicious Taguel, Yarne dug into the ground with his hind legs, this is him running into the enemy, if he had been running away then it would seem to me that the foot marks would leave a trail in the opposite direction as the impact of the toes…he was running into enemy lines, regardless of why, whether to escape or attack, he was heading to the west…or southwest, the paw marks throw me off, here it looks like he's running south, then turns back to the west, northwest for a few feet…this zigzag pattern continues into the woods, and while it's a pattern, it is unpredictable."

"Mom told us," Morgan said, "about a time she trained with Kellam, she would jump left, right, left, right, and then strike, knocking him off balance, maybe that was Yarne attacking an individual, or maybe he was scaring them back, perhaps he was just putting them off balance, whatever it was, he isn't here now…I hope he's not hurt."

"Lucina, Morgan, you two discuss how you'll arrange the search parties, I advise two, at least, with these magical necklaces that will allow us to keep track of each other…perhaps it would have been wise to have him keep one with him, considering his newfound tendency to wander."

"Right, Morgan, follow me."

"Right with you." The tactician said as she followed her commander to a room with a desk at the end, a long table with a few papers and maps scattered about.

"According to these were about out of bows, so we won't be using many arrows."

"That's not a problem, Luce, considering the enemy has the woods pretty well surrounded…but I would advise have Noire carry as many bows as she can, just in case she can get a clear shot."

"Very well…how about this bow, a lot of users find this one very easy to use." Lucina said as she pointed to a bow on a weapons manifest.

"Yeah, but we have a lot of these right here; Noire will only be able to carry so much."

"True, perhaps we should employ the buddy system in our search party, what are the team's interactions?"

"Noire still relies heavily on Severa, and come to think of it, Severa doesn't need to carry much…though she might not be fully recovered."

"Yarne wouldn't have let things get that bad, he may have few memories, but think about it, can amnesia alter him to such an extent?"

"He definitely was the same guy, whether he remembers or not…but we know he's braver, maybe he had fewer things on his mind, now he can be brave and keep his race from dying…my race from dying…he has more confidence in his current perspective, and he's my brother, he has to at least live for my sake, if not for this time's Mom and Dad."

"I agree, he still remembered us to some degree, he's still our friend, he will survive for us, now, here were the buddy-ups we had last time."

"Switch Kjelle and Cynthia."

"Huh? What's changed?"

"Gerome and Kjelle are getting along better, apparently there was some notion of 'Eternal rivalry'."

"Huh?"

"I don't get it either, but things have smoothed out some for them, but Cynthia…Gerome's current buddy…she's been annoying him, I think, and Kjelle's current buddy is Owain, fortunately he's perfectly flexible in these situations, but Severa has to stay with Noire, I think it would be a good change for Noire to be on the supporting side, rather than be the supporter, it might give her a sense of greater self-respect, while also letting Severa have the feeling that she is capable of protecting our archer, I mean, she did suffer some ugly scratches, so this will be like us telling her that we believe she knows her own limits, who knows, it might make her embarrassed to know that Noire's able to see how bad she does, or maybe make her feel a renewed sense of strength and dependability, either way she knows there isn't any pettiness in our strategies, but I also want everyone to carry a few medicines with them, Noire will carry one pack for herself, Severa will carry a few for herself, plus some bows for Noire, you and me are taking the Justice Wagon."

"I was buddied up with Laurent last time, who were you paired with?"

"Yarne, he's not available, so I guess that means we'll take Laurent along with us…I was hoping so, this way I can look while you drive, and he does all the fighting, instead of me having to fight and search."

"Alright…wait, no, that seems like we're not maximizing our potential, you should focus on being combat orientated, while Laurent searches."

"What, but think about it, he has the highest magical aptitude of anyone here."

"And you're not too far behind him, not to mention you're physical combat aptitude…and you have the power Ingis, not many folks are born with such latent abilities! Only Grandmasters ever possess that skill!"

"I guess so."

"Think about it, you'll be able to add your magical power to your physical attacks, your strength to your magic attacks, it's perfect! You have to be the combat orientated one!"

"Yeah, I know, but my brother's out there…I have to search, what if Laurent's glasses slip off or something?"

"If he's the one searching then all he has to do is focus, if he was on the offensive…look, there probably won't even be a battle, we might not even be the ones to find him, you're going to help us look anyways, until we need you to fight, no one said you couldn't search until then."

"I know, but as a battle plan…we're wasting time, and you're right, I have special powers, let's go find Yarne."

"Alright, I'll mobilize the team."

Yarne followed the cliff until he collapsed, groaning from his extended fast, which should have ended in the morning. He glanced up at the sky and was sure he heard a voice talking to him, and then he passed out.

Yarne looked up from the floor, where he had been sitting down stacking blocks, when Morgan dropped herself next to him, "This is boring." She said exasperatedly."

"It's not boring." Yarne said quietly.

"Fine, but you know what would be more fun?"

"What?"

"Well, I was thinking, why stack blocks, when we could stack books!"

"But that's what we're doing, stacking blocks."

"Hey, you're not listening, I said stacking books would be better."

"But isn't that what happens to them anyways, getting stacked?"

"I mean miles and miles high, all the way to the roof high!"

"And if they fall then we'll get hurt, no thanks, this is more fun."

"Oh, come on, this is so boring! Hey, I know, let's fight, go on, I have my beaststone right here, whip yours out and we'll fight right here!"

"No, what if we get hurt? Then what happens to the future of the Taguel, we can't die!"

"I'm not going to kill you…but our uncertainty of that makes it all the more thrilling, don't you think?!"

"Or more dangerous, I don't want to fight, we'll get scratches, those could get infected, and we could die."

"How about a game of chess, I can teach you."

"With chess pieces, you mean…I don't know, I've never played chess before."

"Come on, I'll teach you! We can start with the horse guy piece, see he jumps three spaces, but not in a straight line, oh no, no, not him, he jumps in corners!"

"This sounds confusing already."

"Only because we don't have a chess board, come on, it'll be fun."

"Fine, I'm coming, just give me a minute."

"Hey, kits, what're you up to?" Panne asked, smiling with a bowl of carrot stew.

"Nothing, I'm about to beat Yarne in a game of chess, is all…after I teach him about the pieces."

"Alright, sounds like fun, I'll watch."

"Where's Daddy, Mommy?"

"He's reviewing some papers, again…he heard there were reports of Risen near the Haunted Mansion, it might be nothing, but we're never sure about these things."

"Yeah, but he was looking at papers yesterday, too."

"I know, but he has to keep everyone safe, it's important that the Risen don't catch us off guard…though I lived on my own for a while before joining Chrom's army…I know how to use a couple of maps…having him do all the work is an insult to my intelligence, so I'm going to have him come down here while I organize a few things for him, he needs a break."

Yarne woke up and found himself under the shadow of night, feeling more ill than he remembered, so he started to lay back down, curled up in hopes of easing his stomach cramps when he heard bushes rustling and twigs snapping. He was still his transformed state, so he stayed low to the ground and kept his ears and eyes alert. Yarne checked his options, a tree was behind him, to his left; there was dense foliage behind him, into which he considered running. He winced as he considered these choices, and decided his best options were to stand and fight. Yarne stared at the bush were he had heard the movements and rolled himself suddenly onto his side, leapt left, and dove forward, knowing that whoever it was, they would have expected him to jumped right, as is the method applied before the killing blow by most Taguel…or so he had the feeling his mother once told him, but he was sure he wasn't wrong, and he knew he saw his target try to sidestep him, but it was too late, the Taguel was upon them.

Yarne stared at his target, glaring furiously, until he looked at his victim: Panne.

"Mother, what are you doing?!"

"Nice to see you again too, Yarne…nice attack just then."

"I could have torn your face off, and all you have to say is 'nice attack'?!"

"Ha, you could have spared the energy to jump to the right before you dove in."

"I knew you'd be expecting that, I just didn't know that you'd be…you."

"I'm I to take it I'm complimented?"

"I don't know, but how did you know where to find me?"

"Miriel told me she had contacted her kit in this general area."

"Um, did she use the exact words?"

"I'm paraphrasing, she said Laurent, name and all, but we must hurry to your friends, I heard several heartbeats pound in the forest, it was as thunder, there must be at least twenty—no, more like thirty of them…I smell the stench of that one assassin among them."

"One in particular I should be worried about?"

"Yes, your scent was present, I take it you've met her, she wears a knife on her belt, concealed by her coat…or at least an empty place for the knife…her shoulder armor had been torn, she was covered in scratches, I presume you won?"

"I think so, ah, feels like my stomach's about to kill me, oh, my stomach."

"Here, you, turn back into a human, I'll carry you."

"Not a problem!" he said as the beast form vanished, leaving Yarne to fall forward, caught by his mother who helped him to lie down, then raised him up and carried him along the cliff, "So, you used maps a lot when you were on your own, huh?"

"I know a few things about planning ahead with a map, why?"

"Umm, you answered pretty specifically."

"You asked a little apprehensively, I could tell you were worried that it was related to the chapter of my life where the…warren fell…so naturally you would be asking about long distance travel, how I survived the harsh conditions."

"Not exactly, but how did you survive?"

"I didn't survive, I fell further and further into the depths of despair and loneliness, the only thing sadder than a last Taguel, is a last Taguel with no warren."

"But your warren is…-"

"My old warren is dead, but I've long since associated the same feelings with the Shepherds with the ones I felt in the presence of the warren…what I say I do for the warren, I say I do for the Shepherds; they are the warren, now, now that I've found them."

"How did you find them?"

"By doing a favor for a friend, because of that favor I was able to indulge the Taguel instinct of being with the warren, and a few key warriors were able to help me find that ability, your father included…I always thought the warren was something that simply was, and that it could be no other way, now I see I was wrong, I was born into the warren, they accepted me as I grew older, but aside from whatever shaped my ideals, I still had trouble accepting the loss, so I exiled myself…not in the most literal form, but I would have, if that instinct had died with the original warren…but still stayed there, and I dreamt of other Taguel, but I couldn't expect there were anymore…which was sad, and while it's true I was alone, it wasn't true that it had to stay that way…Taguel are going to want to be around other Taguel, I saw too late that I was born a Taguel, I was raised a Taguel, and anyone bearing a beaststone had better prove their worth for it…like you did."

"So, you're not upset I leapt at you then?"

"Hmm, not really, I was trying to figure out if I heard my own heart beating, or if it was yours."

"Ah, so you thought I had…that I just…died?!"

"I hate to admit it, but I was scared that I was too late."

"I heard you whispering, I think."

"Our ears are strong, and yes, I was muttering to myself, regarding your wellbeing."

"I was scared too, I thought it was curtains for me!"

"Curtains, for you?" Panne chuckled lightly.

"Hey, it's not funny! I could have been killed!"

"Hmm, so you've not changed that much, I see…yet the way Miriel described Laurent's words…are you sure you can't remember anything?"

"Hmm, well, you and Dad, Morgan and me…from the other world, I mean…it before the war where you and Dad…left me."

"Yarne-"

"I had always been skittish, but you always promised that you'd be there for me, but when I needed you the most…it was when you were the reason…that was hard for me and Morgan, but somehow we survived…or maybe it's like how you said, we didn't survive…we just kept each other's hopes alive, until that fateful day at…Mount Prism."

"Is everyone ready?" Lucina asked as they reached the mountain, and a gentle slope with Risen scattered across it.

Cynthia and Gerome nodded they flew side by side, soaring over the camp, distracting the Risen while the rest of the humans ran up the mountain, cutting down the Risen archers nearest to them, running inward until the archers were destroyed, keeping close together and fighting off any other units that weren't distracted by Gerome and Cynthia, who had split up to pick up Owain and Lucina; Minerva and Gerome's steady pattern allowed Owain to stay balanced, while executing a series of speedy combination slices, while Cynthia's sudden dives gave speed to Lucina's calculated strikes, especially considering she could read Cynthia's actions to figure out the best attack.

Yarne and Morgan watched from a distance, Yarne was trembling at the prospect of rushing into the Risen camp, "We'll be killed if we stay, Yarne, so let's go, now!"

"I can't, what if I mess up, either way I'm dead!"

"Hey, I'm right here, you know?"

"Please…don't…they promised to come back!"

"And I swear not to leave you, so just follow me, okay?"

"When you say it like that I-hmm…fine." Yarne conceded, and the two transformed their battle form.

Yarne looked back often, and watched as the path they took up the mountain was swarmed with Risen, and suddenly, the well-formed units fell into disarray, not that Yarne noticed, as far as he was concerned the only form visible was chaos and death, the only pattern was fear, and the only feeling not numbed was the pace of his heart as his body promoted the flight or fight program…and he choose flight, and broke through the enemy lines, back to where they had come from.

"Yarne!" Morgan yelled as she turned to follow her brother, with losing focus of her safety. Morgan raced up to him, but as they closed distance, attacks meant for him were passed to her, "Yarne, stop!" she pleaded, and the Taguel saw the various cuts and scrapes, and thought of how his mother must have looked in her final battle, he almost resolved to fight the Risen, but before he did Morgan had drunk a vulnerary and swapped her beaststone out for her blade

"Morgan, what are you doing?"

"Changing tactics, run to Lucina, I saw her and Laurent protecting Brady, I'll find Cynthia and have her airlift our units."

"But you might get hurt!"

"I can't worry about that…I know how they must have felt, promise not to leave us, and then all their choices are snatched away…I have no choice, I can't let this opportunity to regroup slip away!"

"Please, don't go, send me!"

"Yarne…you don't mean that, you want to, but you can't expect me to believe you'll change over this, but I believe you will, now please, before I have to order you, go to Lucina and Laurent and help them cover Brady, it'll improve all our chances to survive, take my word on this."

"Fine, hurry back, though…I don't think I would know what to do if I lost you too!"

"Don't worry, but the same applies to you, too."

"I'll be careful." He said before tearing through the crowd of Risen to where his allies held off the rest of the Risen.

"Where's your sister?"

"Lucina, she told me to run over here, she's going to find Cynthia and lift them back over here, she said it was a good opportunity to regroup, it'll increase our chances of survival."

"Just stay with us, then, we're pretty much in the center of the battle, and where at a pivotal point in the battle."

"But we're far from our goal, aren't we?" Laurent asked, looking around him at the chaos.

"Yeah, we're pretty far off, but we'll prevail, somehow, we have to, this world's past depends on it." Lucina pressed, as she held off three Risen by stepping back and forward, keeping them uncertain as to her intentions, but as this went on one Risen struck, she stepped left and sliced the three of them at once, then leapt forward and stabbed an oncoming fourth Risen, and leapt back, refocusing on Brady, "You still alright?"

"I ought to be fight too, you keep risking your neck and Laurent keeps using those magic books, but how soon before he's out of books, until he's defenseless?"

"The odds of you asking this," Laurent began, "at this critical moment, is slim, what a ruthlessly cruel concurrence."

"Does that translate to you're out of fire power?"

"No that…in a manner of speaking, yes I'm…out of firepower."

"That's no good, we're baked."

"No we're not!" Morgan yelled as the cut through the Risen in front of her and stepped forward with more books, which Laurent happily accepted, but frowned upon noticing the Risen that closed the point where she entered the area.

"Um, Morgan, I hope you have more books for yourself."

"Yep, and with the two of us burning through the thickest concentration of Risen, we minimize the chance that we'll hit a friend, and maximize the number of Risen we toast!"

"Should you be so enthused?"

"Well, we'll live, that's enough for me, now let's carve our way to where Cynthia just took off, she should be going to pick up Owain, she will intercept Nah on her return flight, inform her to pick up our friends, and bring them back, we already informed Gerome of our plan, the rest of us should be along shortly…Brady, can you detect any injured friends?"

"Inigo's close by, he's not badly hurt, but he's on the way to Severa, who's not looking to tough right about now."

"Alright, then we'll pick him up first, and have you heal him, I'll make a run to Severa and hand her a vulnerary," Lucina said, "and I want you to head up the mountain a bit, expand our area by spreading apart some, not so much that the enemies can close the gap, though…just prepare the way for us." She said s she started pass Brady, but was stopped by Yarne.

"It's too risky!"

"Yarne!" she said as she stepped back offended, "these are our friends, and I won't not take risks just because of the risk of being critically wounded, stop trying to convince me that I can't do this! I'm sorry, but I have to go." She said, resuming her charge through the lines, meeting the edges of several swords and axes, not fighting those she didn't have to in order progress to Severa's location, but she met Inigo along the way, "Head back the way I came from, we're regrouping, I'm picking up Severa, I'll bring her back soon." Those words were all Yarne heard before he lost her voice under the turmoil surrounding him.

He didn't know how they had gotten so far, but they were surviving the climb up the mountain, Brady healing them while they moved up, Cynthia had required much attention from his staff, but was feeling better and he could focus on the others as well. Yarne didn't know when the Risen stopped attacking them at every corner, but he did remember Lucina kneeling at an altar, called a Dragon's Table…all he knew was what Laurent read to the group in what books weren't burned when the castle library burned down in the Risen invasion. All he knew was that they would perform the Rite of Awakening, and have the key to stopping Grima. Yarne could hear the fell dragon's shriek from in the underground cavern where they stood, even the thought of it chilled him until he shivered.

"Is everything alright?" Morgan asked her brother, who shook his head in both "Yes" and "No" before deciding on "Yes".

"We have so much at stake here." He said as he turned back to Lucina, who stood kneeling at the Dragon's Table.

"Naga," he heard her whisper, "here my voice, Exalt and Falchion's wielder, I beg you the power to end the threat to our world…and send us back! I stand ready to face your flames, and I stand ready to fight Grima in the past, as we could not in this time! Here the voice of the Awakener!" Yarne stared at Lucina's side of the room, her words chilling him worse than Grima's shrill voice, reaching miles to where they stood, through the cavern underground, where they stood, gathered around Lucina, who kneeled at Naga's Divine Dragon's Table. He wondered if she knew what she was asking of Naga, and was quite certain he didn't know what to think, his mind wandering different levels, wondering if he knew what it meant to follow her, but he had known it was this, or the dark dragon…he'd rather have a quick, painless death than have his doom stare down at him until delivering a final, painful blow.

Suddenly Naga's voice rang out through the cavern underground, where could now be heard the voices of two mighty, legendary dragons. Yarne hoped to see a bright flash of white and wake up to a world where everyone wasn't dead, a world where Naga had appeared from the Dragon's Table and tore through the cavern underground, and where she would slay the dark one, but that is not what happened as she spoke the first word he heard her speak.

"Awakener." the voice spoke, acknowledging Lucina's bloodline, and he saw Lucina jolt back, as though struck, but she didn't fall over, only stare at the empty space over the Dragon's Table, in that darkening cavern under the surface of Mount Prism, where two voices, one shrilly shriek heralding the final doom of Lucina's army, and one calm and peaceful, willing no harm upon her audience, the final hope for two doomed worlds, the present and the past, and perhaps a third world, the future.

Lucina screamed as though mortally wounded, and Yarne remembered that if she wasn't strong enough she would die, and Yarne felt all hope drain away as he envisioned her collapsing upon the floor, the world's last Exalt; but she didn't die, instead she leaned back, straightening herself and staring forward, "You are strong, Awakener."

"Then you can help us?"

"I would unlock Falchion's full potential, you would have the power to defeat Grima…but the fate you seek to alter…this fate, your world's final hours until Grima slays the last human, this is a fate which you cannot control, do not try to control the actions of the world you will find, because in doing so, you will pressure one who's fate is the spring of the fate of this world…the source of Grima's renewed strength."

"That's right, Validar…killed my father!"

"No, it was someone held close to Chrom's own heart, and the ruse was not seen until the end of his life…that is the one who's hand my change all of your plans…I will unlock Falchion's power, but be warned, you may not be able to find your way back here, to this time, this world may be lost to you, and you may be trapped outside your own time, in a world strange to you…knowing this, do you not wish to slay this Grima? The next world may prove difficult, as the one who awakens Grima may by stronger, and so the Grima you face will have the strength of that one…their heart being one and shared…all you will be able to do is alter key events that may change the outcome, but you'll have to decide when and where things went wrong…hurry, Grima's presence, he's here!" Naga shouted as a shadowy figure stepped forward, laughing softly as he ran towards them, but they turned to a hall, where a bright light had begun to glow, they followed it, while looking back to where Lucina was, strikes meant to distance him from Lucina, who had decided to fall back, when suddenly a white fog flew between Lucina and the human cloaked in shadows, Lucina jumped back and frowned, a rock had fallen between him and her, Yarne called out to Lucina, and she slowly turned to him, then back at the rock. Lucina pulled a mask out of her satchel and set it over her face, under the hair behind her head, then pulled the bangs up in the front away from her mask. She turned back to Yarne, and he startled back, aware now how much of her face was covered, and how much she didn't look the same, to anyone meeting her for the first time, they would never guess who she was, but she was whispering, he could tell as much, and he could tell that she was taking up the name Marth.

"Marth, Hero-King of legend, lend me your strength, even a tenth would do…I will take up your name so you will always know that I need help changing my fate, as you once challenged yours…yes, I'm aware that I'll be alone often, none of that matters, should Chrom survive in the world I am about to travel to…very well, then I challenge my fate." He had been staring, wondering who she was talking to, and turned back to see that everyone was still there, when the rock between her and the shadowed person began crumbling, "Get away!" she yelled, and everyone ran, and she ran, looking back to see herself being pursued. She set her blade away and Yarne saw no more, as he crossed into the portal where he last saw the world he knew, and closed his eyes, for who knows how many years, but he felt changed, and more afraid than ever.

Yarne awoke on the ground, his mother fighting off a group of assassins, she kept shouting for him to wake up, which he was now, so he hopped to her side and began fighting as well.

"What are you doing, Yarne?!"

"Helping you, now take this vulnerary, it'll help with that cut and those scrapes."

"Are you sure you'll stay and fight?"

"Yeah, I'll fight." He said as he charged at an assassin, striking his target with his powerful Taguel legs, sending his foe into a nearby tree, "I'm the strongest Taguel in the world…by default."

"So what am I, if not Taguel?"

"Sorry, um…and Morgan too…just let me trick myself, okay?"

"As I tricked myself, thinking I'd find survivors of that fateful night, when the hunters attacked."

"You found survivors, alright."

"You're right about that, and I think the beginning of this new Taguel tradition is something we should document."

"Me too, if we survive this madness first that is."

"Ha, you never change, do you?"

"Neither did you or Dad, you're just like I remember, except different."

"So you're remembering things, then?"

"Bits and pieces…and shards and fragments…and threads…I'll have it all back soon enough." Yarne said as he slammed the final assassin into a tree.

"Come on, Yarne, I hear Lucina and Morgan…in the Justice Wagon and someone else with them, but they aren't talking."

"I hear it too." Yarne said as he followed Panne through the woods, to where Lucina was driving slowly along the ground, glancing from bush to bush, with Morgan and Noire also searching the area.

"Hey, wait up!" Yarne yelled, running out of the woods, Panne close behind.

"Lucina, turn around, look!" Morgan exclaimed, the princess steering towards the Taguel dashing out of the woods.

"Hey, guys," Morgan greeted them, "hop in…hop, like rabbits, get it?!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, just take me back to the camp." Yarne said shaking his head as he sat down next to Noire.

"Anything you want to talk about?" the archer inquired.

"Not right now, I'm trying to put everything together…it's all coming back to me in blurs."

"So you're remembering something?" Noire said cheerfully, causing him to smile too.

"I hope so, it's either that, or my brain's filing in the gaps…am I starting to think like my sister, or what?"

"Just like her! It must be your big brain that you got from the Grandmaster…I am sorry that you can't remember everything, though…it makes me feel sad to think about it, so you'll excuse me for trailing off the subject, like…um…well…there's-"

"The one who I dove into the fray to protect…the battle with you know who…I may have remembered something about her."

"What, you mean that far back? Oh, wait, you remembered that?! Oh, I don't what she's going to do, but she had hoped you wouldn't remember…I mean…forget I said it! We didn't talk! We didn't say anything!"

"Alright, alright, calm down…I may not be remembering, it might be me filling in the gaps."

"Wishful thinking it could be, then? Why don't you ask her about it?"

"Sure, all I remember is that she…explained to me why she is the way-"

"Nope, we didn't even speak!"

"What does that mean?"

"Well, she said she was going to tell you…wait, no, bad, Noire, bad! You'll have to wait until she says anything, she's still coping with this, it's hard for her, she said so to me…but she only ever explains herself to those she trusts most, she had told Cordelia, you see, and I accidently overheard."

"What are you two gossiping about Severa for?" Morgan asked, turning around to the back, smiling, "You have to tell me too!"

"No, I can't, this isn't what she wanted to have happen, she is still thinking things through…don't ask what," Noire said, shaking her head slowly, "because I hardly know what's going on in her mind, but she's like an older sister…or mother, when you consider Tharja…never mind, point is, I respect her, and if you bring this up, she might be upset…and if you upset her…you don't want to know what happens if you upset her."

"I don't know, Kjelle's strong, agile, but her shoulder's look like they'd be bulky beyond tackiness" Inigo was saying, "but I do know that I'm not an incredibly tacky, too much bulk is tacky, and that won't be me."

"Oh yeah, well I bet," Cynthia challenged, "that you have to shop in the extra-large department, just to keep you elbows from tearing sleeves."

"Please, it's not as bad as all that," Inigo shrugged, "just a little bit of that bad."

"What are you guys talking about now?" Yarne asked, Inigo smiling as the question was poised.

"Why, my good friend Yarne-"

"Oh, no, he called me his good friend."

"Hey, you are a good friend, and I was just wondering, what do you think Kjelle would do in response to me asking to borrow her dumbbells for a while? Just to see if I can surpass her in battle, I should ask how long she lifts them for."

"Um, did you ask yet, I think I saw her over there…I can hear her talking and track her that way."

"Oh, see, you're a very good friend, but I was talking with my good friend Cynthia, so I was just wondering, could you go and collect the dumbbells…I'll have the exercise area set up shortly."

"Wait right there, you're just trying to find an excuse to spar with me, aren't you?" Kjelle glared as she spoke, "You always wanted to hit me, just to prove you could lay a scratch on me, well, let me tell you, buddy, I wanted…I have always wanted to hit you, but I couldn't because I was afraid I'd knock any remaining sense out of you, but who knows, maybe it works for you like everyone else, and I'll smack some sense right into that little brain of yours."

"Let's test that theory!" Inigo cried out enthusiastically.

"That boy really doesn't learn, does he?" Yarne asked, shaking his head. Severa used this as an opportunity to pull Yarne away.

"You've better things to do than stand around watching Inigo get his ticket punched, don't you…or don't you?"

"I don't know about tickets, but he is about to get punched."

"It's an expression, he's about to get his butt kicked, is that better? Come on, Yarne, time to put you to work."

"Okay, Severa, what needs getting done today?"

"Well, besides the usually pressing matter of getting your memory back, pretty much the chores you'd expect…and think of backing out! You need to get back to the little things, or the bigger things will wear you out…what I mean is that earlier…I heard from Panne, what you did, what you've been doing on an empty stomach, not only fighting, but meeting them halfway, you've gotten stronger, braver, I can admire you for that."

"Why does it feel like you've said that before?"

"So, that jogged your memory, right? I've been waiting for you to progress this far, that way you'd have the same sense of accomplishment as you did that day…not too long ago, but too long ago for me."

"Severa," he said timidly, "um, I remembered you saying that…earlier."

"What, what triggered this? Why didn't you tell me sooner? This changes the entire fight, we-"

"No," Yarne shook his head, "not 'we' you and me, us…I've been wondering, and I accept that memory as true, even Noire said you didn't open up to people you didn't trust all that much."

"Noire…is slightly wrong, see, at the time it was war and I was trying to make up with Mom, which is useless, because she doesn't remember it because she wasn't there, so it was pointless! At first she was the only person I thought I'd never trust, but I wanted to…and so I found her in her tent before dinner, we talked a lot and she kept trying to tell me that no one could be upset with me, she said it was like that for her, except opposite, everyone seemed to resent her for being too perfect…but then she learned they really cared about her, and I was wondering if everyone back then was just concerned for me…but they weren't…the was that I was useless, I remembered my real mom and I would always try to prove that I was catching up to her, to prove that I wasn't on the path to becoming worse at everything than she was, but that I would eventually surpass her…and then she told me we didn't have anything to prove, never did, never will, then made a promise not to die, and then she died…and then I left. Now, back to Noire being wrong, it wasn't that I can't tell this to people I don't trust, but to those who really will never have to know until I tell them, at which point I'll know if I need them to know…follow?"

"Um, you knew you'd want me to know, because I would have to know, because…why?"

"Because I love you, you silly rabbit, that's why you had to know, I wanted to…I don't know, feel less like your worst nightmare, close the distance between us…that way you wouldn't be thinking I was crazy or something, which shouldn't be ruled out."

"You're probably right…you might be crazy over me, that wouldn't be good."

"No it would…what did you say? That I was crazy about you? Well, yeah, but you had better feel the same way, got it?"

"Trust me, I understand…hey, you know, I don't feel like I'm forgetting anything…I know I am, but it doesn't feel that way."

"Well that's good…Yarne, I never really understood Taguel very well, but I want to know more about them, you know?"

"Well, we're cute, and we're endangered."

"Yeah, that's what I figured…but I never knew you were endangered."

"Wait, let me think about that…hey, what?!"

"Ah, ha, ha, even cuter when you're flustered."

"Yeah, well, I never actually felt like a Taguel…not for a long time, but mom and I would often try to recreate Taguel tradition…if I remember, we've made a little progress…but still, there's something I finally understand about being a Taguel, and that is that I never was a Taguel…until that day after we fought Grima, you we're terrifying, and I had a new perspective…I think I'm braver now."

"I know you're braver…just survive through this fight too, okay? I'd hate to lose you too."

"You got it! Now, first thing about Taguel, do not pull our ears, ever."

"I was actually just about to do that…joking, gosh Yarne, you'd think I was trying to kill you or something."

"You never can tell." He mused quietly.

**This feels like a good place to close up, it's getting more and more difficult to keep progress through the story, but it's very fun because this **_**Fire Emblem: Awakening**_** was just about made with fanfiction in mind, all the time lapses and alternate universes…I'm thinking about a couple of other stories I'd like to write based in the alternate worlds, and I really should get back to my first few stories as well…well, hopefully everyone's enjoying this story so far.**

29


	3. The Warren

The Warren

**This is act three, but I don't think I can continue after the resolve of the conflict, so I'll try to end this well! As in, I hope this chapter doesn't make the rest of it look bad. **

Yarne saw the mountain destination drawing closer, as though it was slowly sliding to them, rather than them driving to Mount Prism…which oddly resembled the one from his dream, even the approach was similar, so his stomach lurch. Morgan could tell he was uncomfortable, and could only imagine one reason for his discomfort.

"You remember that day then? The one when we fought our way up the mountain, I mean."

"Yeah, it was back in the other world."

"Did you start remembering when the mountain first came to view?"

"No, I remembered it yesterday, I had a run in with the assassins, I passed out and remembered a few things about that day, the day when Lucina called on the power of Marth."

"Well, that was after she awakened Naga…do you remember the order of events."

"Yeah, it was right before we went through the…portal, the rock that had fallen between her and that dark shadow person was splitting, and then we slowly crept to the portal, I was hoping she'd be close enough to the portal when the rock crumbled, but she was an arm's length away when we fell into the time warp, and the rock was still intact, but only when I heard of a masked man named Marth at the arena did I know she had gotten away alive."

"Yeah, I know it was scary, and now we're going back…we'll have to make sure that we can all go together this time."

"Yes, and this time I'll do better to protect you, you are my warren." Yarne then saw Panne smile, and he felt proud of himself for the first time in his life…that he could remember.

Lucina stopped the Justice Wagon by a small tree and the team unloaded and began the long hike up the mountain.

Yarne kept his eyes forward as they trekked up the mountain, he remembered Laurent saying they were fifty-eight percent complete, and a few steps later the female assassin reappeared, "You are just in time, truly the older Shepherds were a challenge, but hopefully you will do better than they…and to think these men are merely bandits, but my skills are more than enough to compensate for their…weaknesses in battle strategy."

"You want us to clobber you and your men?" Gerome asked, then a small smile cast its shadow upon his face, "You found the right people." He unhooked his axe from the loop on his belt, everyone reached for a weapon, and Yarne, Panne, and Morgan pulled out their beaststones and transformed, and charged at her, but the team spread out when they saw more soldiers coming down the mountain, "Everyone, over here!" Morgan called out to the team, which then ran to her side.

"What is it?" Panna asked her future daughter.

"Our friends and family are in the caverns somewhere, Lucina, we came from the future, so we should know the way fairly well, we'll hold these guys off, surrounding you as you make your way to the caverns. Mom will go with you, she has excellent hearing; Laurent, you're very skilled at magic and can probably find a way out of any traps down there; Brady, you can heal and kill at your own discretion; Owain and Inigo, you'll be traversing the other tunnels, taking out any enemies hiding there, if they need help then find a way to get ahead of them, strike the enemy hard from behind, then go back to tunnel crawling when the threat's dealt with…unless it's too late for resuming hide and seek, in which case you'll follow Panne. I'll try to send Cynthia, she has orders to shout battle cries on her way in, so you know it's her, when you hear her I want you to fall back and let her deal with any wounds, unless she heals you all long range style before she reaches you, in which case Cynthia will swoop in and drop off supplies, and then leave…we'll want her back as soon as possible, so when Panne hears her, she will drop whatever she's doing and run over, meet Cynthia half way, then both will go back to their respective duties, the rest of us will be here, waiting for you to free the prisoners and crush the enemy, which may or may not be sending in more help, Lucina, questions?"

"No, and if no one else has any, then we should set out now."

Yarne thought for a moment, then asked, "Who's my battle buddy?"

Lucina smiled and set her hand on Yarne's shoulder, "That's a question for your sister. Everyone, well, I'm taking my team now, let's secure the cavern entrance."

The team designated under Lucina surrounded her, while the rest under Morgan surrounded Lucina's team, fighting through the ranks of soldiers that had swarmed up around the cavern entrance, their formations were slowly broken until Morgan's team could surround the entrance to the caverns, while Lucina's team invaded and spread out, Yarne followed his sister and fought alongside her, watching as everyone else formed teams as well.

Morgan and Yarne traveled around the field to the other units and took on a lot of the tougher foes, but Yarne could tell Morgan wasn't going to be able to lead the defense much longer.

"Morgan, I'm tire of hiding behind you, it's your turn to hide now."

"Are you sure?"

"We're both Taguel, we're the most natural born warriors, and you're tired already, so take a break, okay? In fact, everyone should switch out if they haven't already."

"I agree, we're taking a beating, I can't even catch my breath."

"Everyone," Yarne shouted, "switch leaders!"

"Good job, Yarne."

"That wasn't anything, the enemy numbers aren't decreasing quickly, and we can't fight forever, we need reinforcements."

"Yarne, over there, that assassin lady is talking with those bulky bandit guys, I'm guessing they're about to try something, order everyone to come here and split up, the most battered hiding in the middle of our form, you'll slip out with Cynthia, when you see Panne take the supplies from Cynthia, that way she can return soon after…actually, forget that, when you see Panne, take Cynthia's supplies, and tell her to take Panne back to the surface, we need a strong Taguel, and I don't think she's tired right now, if she is then they'd have retreated."

"Morgan, I don't about that, the lives of our families are in danger, and the us of this time haven't even been born yet, I don't think this is the best idea, pulling her out and sending me in."

"Then don't know, don't think, just go and hope it'll turn out alright, we're almost done Yarne, half of the enemy has already fallen."

"There may be reinforcements, and all I can do is hope this will turn out well."

"Yarne, this is how I've always led, how Lucina's always led, this is how it's always going to be, just go, okay?"

"Fine, but I'm not risking everyone else, if we regroup and split teams, then I want it to be to support each other, not secure my escape. I'm going to find Cynthia now."

"Yarne, you're more brave than I had thought possible, it's scaring me."

"Me too, where's Cynthia?"

"I don't know, just listen for the wings of her steed."

"Yeah…over here…more over here…over there?" he ran forward and stepped left, wandering until he heard her Pegasus's wings flapping.

"Cynthia, it's time to go back up Lucina in the caverns." He told her, then looked around the battlefield, "Everyone, go gather around Morgan, she thinks the enemy's planning something, alright?" he nodded then turned to Cynthia, she nodded and they started for the caverns, on the way they found Severa, "So, Yarne, did the plan change?"

"We need Panne out here, I'll go swap out with her."

"You mean you're going to lead the rescue? That's a very weighty task."

"Yes, I know."

"I'd like to go with you, but I have to stay here."

"Yeah, I know...I'd like to have you come along, but we need as many strong people here as we can get. In the caverns the only thing we have to do is clear out the enemy, here is a lot more dangerous…I think."

"Unless the people guarding the tunnels are stronger than you think…just be careful, okay?"

"Of course, but you be careful too, okay?"

"'Of course', he says, as though it were that simple," Severa muttered quietly, and I know you can hear what I'm saying…don't die out there." The said softly, patting his shoulder as the rest of the group formed around them.

"Glad to know you're concerned."

"Well, one of us has to be." She said, waving before she took her position beside Morgan and Kjelle, and Yarne turned around to refocus on his mission, he turned to Cynthia, who patted her Pegasus's back.

"Hop on, Bunny Boy, we've got to go." He sat down behind her and watched as Gerome opened the door to the caverns, because that's all he could do, watch and wait.

The path of the tunnels that Lucina's team had taken was long, and Yarne had plenty of time to worry about how badly the battle above ground was going every second Cynthia and Panne spent down here, away from the action, but then he would worry that there was plenty of fighting here, too. He didn't see many bodies, but took that as a sign that any assassins guarding these passages were very well trained, and Cynthia confirmed it, "In all my experience, Morgan has ever only set three of us all in one place, if she ever set us up for guarding or patrols, but most of the time it only took one of us for whoever we were guarding against…mainly in part to the excellent planning she used to begin with, but these guys…one at a time, either this person is very confident or very careless…maybe it's a bit of both? Maybe these guys are stronger than we think, especially considering they took out all of the Shepherds."

"These warriors may be better than we think, but we sent out the right people for Lucina's team."

"How do you figure?"

"None of these bodies are our friends, they're still alive."

"Prisoners…perhaps it's about time for me and my sidekick to-" she gasped and turned around as a heavy object fell behind them, they turned to see the rest of the group running towards them, followed by the assassins and bandits, Cytnhia stopped and turned around, leaving the supplies with Yarne, "Wait, Cynthia, what are you doing?"

"Keep going, I'll send Gerome back to speed up your journey!"

"No, we're close right now, we have to keep going!"

"Yarne-"

"No, we have to keep going!"

"F-fine, let's keep going then." She said as she urged her mount to fly faster, whispering words of encouragement and fear. Yarne glanced back, gritting his teeth as he saw the team rally around Morgan, he hoped they would be able to hold the enemy off, but things were already being unpredictable enough for him, he wanted to get through the day alive, he hoped that the happy outcome would spontaneously surface, as they had in the battles he first fought in, but this time he would fight too.

"Yarne!" he heard his mother yell, she must have been close, but he knew that Taguels could hear within a large range anyways, so he waited until they rounded the last corner, and Yarne hoped of the Pegasus, taking the supplies they had come to deliver, "Mom, switch out with me, it's urgent and they need help!" he yelled across the hall, she nodded and ran pass him to Cynthia and climbed up behind the Pegasus knight.

"Be safe!" She called out to him.

"You too!" he yelled back as his mother sat behind Cynthia, who flew back the way she had arrived, leaving him with a wounded Inigo, exhausted Owain, exasperated Owain, and relieved Brady. Yarne knew Brady was relieved, considering he had just served Inigo the last of his own medicine.

"Hey, I'm battered over here, mind tossing me something?"

"Here, let's go."

"Yarne," Lucina stopped him, focusing on his reactions, "tell me what the situation back there is."

"Not good, but that's not scaring them…which is scaring me. Their holding a last stand at the neck of the first passage, the mouth being the door to outside…honestly, I've never been this afraid, before I had always fought well, you know, just proving something but then I didn't do much more fighting, but no that I am constantly fighting, becoming stronger, now I'm understanding what you guys must be dealing with, these people are tough, tougher than what I'm used to, so I can only imagine how things must be here."

"Well, I won't lie to you," Lucina began, "we're low on supplies, all this time Brady has been able to recover a slight amount of anything the enemy tears from him, and I've been using Falchion, but Owain and Inigo are relying heavily any elixirs we took with us and of course Brady's staves, but there's only so much we can do, we can't keep pausing, these supplies are going to be very helpful. Let's not rest longer than we need, Yarne, you ready?"

"Yeah, hey, I hear voices, talking about a Taguel here…they must mean Mom, unless they've seen us but didn't attack."

"I thought there was someone unaccounted for," Lucina stomped, "they must know we're here! We've been discovered, everyone hide, Brady, play dead."

"What?" the healer asked, incredulous.

"You look it, now, for the sake of all that is pretty, lie down." Inigo said, smiling as he leaned against the wall, slumping down and bending forward, Yarne shook his head as Inigo stayed still in his bent over position, "Owain, you too, Yarne and I are going to wait here, they know Taguel can hear them, they know we know that their headed this way…if I've learned anything from your sister, it's that sometimes even the best have to play Yarne."

"I thought the term was 'Play possum', what, did she change it or something?"

"I suppose she did…anyways, what can you hear from them?"

"Their coming our way, they had targeted the Taguel mostly, believe her to be exhausted, the rest of you should be tired too, they don't know we've resupplied, but they're not sending only a few men, they don't want you running back."

"Then that's what we'll do, Yarne, you know how we tricked Validar into thinking he had successfully mind controlled your father into killing Chrom? We'll, we're taking a similar approach, let them think Owain, Brady, and Inigo are dead, they'll chase us back to the main group, Owain, Brady, and Inigo will then dash inside the room where the cages are kept, then free the others and run to our rescue, what do you say?"

"What if they know that Owain, Brady and Inigo aren't dead, then what?"

"We'll turn back around and strike them, cut our way back to Inigo, Brady and Owain and…that's just it…if we could only form up so as to have Brady on the far side of us, the we could have him teleport us to his side, we'd have the prisoners then!"

"Brady will try that if they're far enough from him, and he's close enough to us, but for now they're after us!"

"Then let's fight as we've never fought before!"

"Agreed, Lucina, let's fight!" Yarne transformed and watched as the enemy units approached in a methodical fashion, he saw three archers, who stopped right in front of Brady, while the knights slowly stomped forward and pulled out their shields, and the swordsmen leapt forward.

"Ah, the son Taguel." A swordsmen noted, staring at Yarne.

"You've noticed, then?"

"Yes, you're our target, after all."

"Oh, I had forgotten that…Lucina?" Yarne said as the clawed the ground.

"I forgot too."

"Not that it matters, really," the swordsmen continued, "after all, you've suffered from this fight enough, haven't you? You two may as well stop fighting."

"What now, Lucina?"

"Run, Yarne, as fast as you know how."

"Hop on my back, we're out of here!"

"No, I'll stay here and distract them, run!" he ran around the corner and waited…for something. He heard Lucina shout and grunt as she battled with the enemy, he heard the enemy screams, and heard the sound of Falchion healing her, but he didn't know what he was waiting for, but before he knew it, he was behind enemy lines, Brady laying low still.

"Scram, you hear me?" the healer ordered, Yarne nodded and dashed towards the door way, the attention of Lucina's contenders being grasped long enough for her to take a breath and cut down the last swordsmen, then refocused on the knights, who were staggered, and she saw a break in formation.

Yarne saw Lucina dash pass the knights and hold them off, Brady, Inigo, and Owain helping her to hold of the five knights, while five more archers and three warriors ran from around the corner, added to the two swordsmen who had already started towards him. As they approached Ylisstol castle appeared in his mind, he saw himself tied down to a chair, and though these recollections surprised him, he didn't stop fighting, even as he remembered the mages surrounding him, a purple mist filling the air, and the accents they spoke to each other in as they took his memory was familiar, but he didn't know how or why.

Yarne looked around for more foes to fight, but none presented themselves, so he dashed into the room, where the Shepherds were locked in their cages, "It took you long enough." He recognized it was Noire's mother who spoke.

"Yeah, well, your buddies over here aren't exactly weak."

"Good to have a professional opinion, makes me feel less disappointed with myself." Gerome's mom said happily, a wyvern somehow able to fit in the same cage with her…a wyvern that oddly reminded Yarne of Gerome's steed, but he was certain that it was his overall lack of experience with wyverns in general, so thought no more of it; instead he unlocked the cages, having nabbed the keys from the soldiers he had fought.

"Daddy!" he yelled happily, pulling the Grandmaster out of the cage.

"Sorry back there, I don't know what I was thinking, getting captured like that."

"Its fine, but we have to hurry, Morgan's holding the group in a desperate battle back by the entrance, but that was a long time ago!"

"Well, then we have no time to waste, Cherche, Cordelia, Tiki, Nowi, and Sumia, take Kellam, Lon'qu…never mind, not Lon'qu…ahem, Kellam…and just grab anyone who's not on an especially quick runner, let's go! Yarne, the stables are right there, Minerva was the only one they couldn't risk transferring, being a wyvern and all."

"Here you guys go, off to Cordelia and Sumia with you, our other friends need your help!" he opened the stables and two white blurs left him in their wake, "I'm glad to see you too." He said, noting the haste with which they ran to their riders. Yarne saw the group split and followed, Frederick, Sully, and Stahl each took a horse and set off, lifting up some of the other's and riding after the fliers. Yarne just hoped they weren't too late.

What Yarne hit him with mixed feelings, on one hand the units were spread out better, but on the other hand he was able to see how large the enemy's forces were, he ran up to where his father was kneeling down, Severa was worriedly standing over him, which was unusual in many ways, the most prominent being that Severa was hardly ever worried, much less openly, but then he noticed a Taguel lying by their feet, Brady and Cynthia were pinned down by twelve knights, trading places with each other whenever the other had taken enough hits from the two healers. As Yarne stepped closer he realized that his sister was the Taguel he saw, as his mother was fiercely clawing at the assassin woman from earlier, but she had her own set of healers, so the battle was slow. Yarne knew the woman was doomed, his mother being the one fighting her was enough for him to know, but he hoped it would be before it was too late for Morgan. Yarne saw Emmeryn across the room, fighting alongside Sumia and Cordelia, who both had staves, and Gangrel was trying to keep up with the enemy as he healed whatever injuries they caused.

Yarne stepped closer to where Morgan lay, and was partially relieved when he heard her breathing, but it was a struggle for her, he could hear as much, "Yarne, I'm sorry, I did my best; I wasn't strong enough, not quick-" Severa began, but Yarne's father interrupted, "Yarne…I'm so sorry," his dad looked up, fearful of his future son's reaction, "she was helping me and then I slipped up, the enemy was closer than I thought, I got over confident, I allowed myself to forget them until it was too late, and they were upon us."

"It's no use beating yourself up, I'll take her to Cynthia and Brady." He lifted her up, but Chrom set his hand on the Taguel's shoulder, "Twelve knights, all with beastslayers, taking her there at all is a risk, moving her at all is a terrible risk; I don't what we can do."

"We have to try." He said, helping his sister off the ground, "Break through those knights, I'll help her over to Cynthia and Brady, you three have to break their formations and Cynthia will be able to fly safely pass them, I'll let you two get a running start; but what do you think, Dad?"

"Well, I don't see how I didn't think of that…some of my best work was under pressure, though, so maybe you got that from me? Let's go, Chrom, questions?"

"None, if this is the best way, we'll do it, at least the brunt of enemy is focused on the rest of our friends, which grants us a small chance of going unnoticed."

"Agreed, my son's a tactical genius."

"Don't praise me yet, I have my doubts." Yarne trembled slightly, worried his plan would fail."

"I don't doubt you," Severa asserted her opinion, "so you better not either, it'll make you look stupid when we pull this off." She said before joining Chrom and Yarne's father in the attack he smiled, then frowned, he wasn't sure if that was to be taken seriously or lightly, so he didn't think on it anymore, and focused on the timing instead, "Okay, Morgan, if we go now then you can just focus on carefully hobbling over there, okay?"

"Yeah, maybe I should retire?"

"Ha, but we need you!"

"Yeah, well, no one said I was going to get shot at."

"You're not serious?"

"Just joking, lighten up, okay?"

"Yeah, not happening…we're almost there. Morgan, your blade!" he yelled, and she drew the sword at her side, which he took and held carefully, slinging the blade up in time to hit the tip of a lance, knocking of balance the knight wielding it, opening up for a quick counter strike, he smiled as the knight fell, then saw it was Severa who had taken out the knight and stopped smiling.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Severa called out as she turned her attention to another knight, while Cynthia flew over to them, but a knight was closing in on Morgan and Yarne, Morgan start to sit down and he let her go, switching the blade to his right hand and held off the knight until Brady took out the contender.

"It was a good effort, though, and you were disadvantaged earlier, being right handed and all."

"So you noticed?"

"Yep, good job too," Brady said, stepping over to where Cynthia was healing Morgan and began helping the rider, "might want to practice, you have a lot of potential."

Yarne smiled and looked around him, the Shepherds and their children had joined strength and now there were one on ones instead of seven to ones, but Yarne hadn't seen the assassin lady, which was a problem, because he was sure she would pose a problem just by herself, considering that everyone present was tired after the battle, including Panne, who had taken on a Taguel worthy few, but he knew that half the battle was hers, though being a Taguel he shouldn't have been surprised, though he was worried that he hadn't fought as many as he should have. Yarne heard a voice as he turned to check the progress of his sister's healing, it told him to go to where the portal to the past had appeared, he turned and thought it was Severa, but even her voice would have been distorted, knowing this he went to where the portal appeared, having been told that a note was on a wall there, detailing the brainwashing ritual he suffered from, and so he went, turning one corridor and another, eventually finding the room and a note on the wall, but then he screamed as a bolt of dark magic stuck him, he turned to his assailant, only to find an arrow flying towards him, he tried to escape it, but it caught his shoulder. The archer that shot him had been the assassin woman, but instead of setting another arrow to her bow, the figure who cast lightning at Yarne had stabbed her through the throat with an arrow of her own. The dark figure laughed and stepped towards him, Yarne looked behind him and saw a swarm of Risen running his way, out of a portal, presumably to the future.

"I just got back, Yarne."

"You're Grima, just like when my dad fought you."

"Oh, that, well you'll be surprised to know that I'm the one who tried to possess him, but his Heart of Grima was too weak to sustain me, some of my power latched onto him…but for the rest I got sent back to the future, I posed as your grandfather's hierophant, knowing that the Grima of this time would likely fail, but as a result I was able to launch an unexpected attack…this woman was from the future, she was Grimleal, not by faith, but hopes that her son wouldn't be taken into the army…after I take control of you in this world, this Grima and I will merge, and you will be lost, knowing this I give you a choice, to grant your friends a good end, or to let them know the horror you will visit upon this world."

"What's a good end anyways?"

"Just remember that I gave you the chance, if you pass it up, it's you who will hurt your friends."

"You gave Dad the same choice in this world, did you know that?"

"Ha, in the old world I didn't have to present a choice, he took his fate as though if of his own will."

"Lies, now be silent, Chrom will end you in this time!"

"Let him come then, he and your father of this time, but they will never defeat me! Let all mortals stand against me at once, and in the blink of an eye all life will be ended by my own hand!"

"Be careful what you wish for!" Lissa yelled as she threw a bolt of lightning at Grima, who rose his hand a dragon's mouth coming out of the portal and spewing dark breath at her, but her son from the future stepped in and blocked the attack, followed by a powerful attack, but Grima had dodged before the blow landed, Owain grimaced, expecting a hit, but Yarne blocked the attack.

"Older Shepherds, after the Risen!" Yarne heard his father order, as Morgan ordered the Justice Cabal to attack Grima.

"Yarne, I'll help you fight this guy!" Morgan exclaimed, the pointed at Laurent, "You go and find a way to slow down Grima, he's tearing right through that portal, take anyone capable with you, Chrom, hey, be ready for me to call you over, you'll strike the finishing blow!"

"Alright, I'll be waiting!" Chrom called back, then resumed fighting some Risen.

Yarne and Morgan fought Grima for longer than Yarne could remember, he was terrified for much of the battle, but then Morgan held up her hand, "Stop, he's down, Chrom, now!" Chrom turned around and ran towards the shadowy figure who looked like his tactician but wasn't, and struck him with Falchion so hard that he was sent across the room, landing with his back against the wall, and his chin against his chest, then laughed.

"You can't kill me, I'm a god, and this proves it!" Grima only stopped laughing as Lucina ran after him, he leapt up and ran, the Taguel siblings close to him.

"Yarne, we have to stop him and have Lucina deal then final blow!" she said, but he shook his head, "Grima looked back at us just then, he looked terrified, I think that he's only vulnerable to those from his own time, like you, me, or Lucina's Falchion!"

"I get it, that's why he's so scared!"

"Yeah, let's hurry up and catch him!" Yarne turning around and saw the fliers from both generations, but the Risen were closing in on them, Grima had noticed this and smiled, he vanished and both he and Morgan could tell where had gone, they turned around and ran back to the room where the portal was, Grima's dragon form was tearing its way out of the portal, and the Shepherds who weren't with the fliers were hiding away from the Fell Dragon, gathering their strength for a final move, "Morgan, Yarne!" Panne yelled across the room, "Stay back!" but purple lightning hit the two and they fell, weakened by the attack Grima used, Yarne turned around and saw Cordelia flying to their rescue, tired but determined, until the lance of an enemy flier dismounted her.

"Morgan, Grima's about to kill us, you run, I'll take him out."

"No one's taking anything out!" Severa yelled as she swiped Brady's staff and mounted her mother's Pegasus, the first thing she did was to raise her staff, and Lucina appeared next to her, "Hop on, Princess!" Severa yelled, followed by Lucina climbing up behind her, "I know the plan." Lucina yelled and Severa nodded, guiding the wings of her steed to where Grima stood, she saw that Lucina held Falchion ready for a swift downward motion, but she saw Grima smile and the Fell Dragon ripped through the portal and soared towards Yarne and Morgan, dark breath gathered in its mouth, the siblings held onto each other, waiting for the dark breath that would end them.

Yarne opened his eyes to see a green mist surround him and Morgan, a staff raised by Severa being the source, and then he heard a gasp behind him, as Cordelia gazed at the new flier, "Oh, she's so good at flying! I had better watch out if I want to remain commander of the Royal Pegasus Guard!"

Yarne saw Severa allow herself a small smile before dodging Grima's second breath attack, but the impact sent Lucina falling back, Severa turned around and held up her staff, targeting Lucina to heal whenever the Exalt hit the ground, while Yarne and Morgan reached forward to catch her. Morgan caught her, but she fell forward when she did, "Morgan, are you okay?! You should have left the catching to me! You're a lot smaller than her, so be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, but I couldn't let you break those flimsy arms of yours, you'd better be glad I've worked out back in the fight against Walhart, or I might have let you catch her…who knew being the hero hurt, huh?"

"Morgan-"

"I know, be careful, thanks for helping me up, by the way."

"Yeah, I'll go cover Severa now, Grima's out of the portal…"

"I'll help Lucina to Cynthia, if we run we should be back in time to tuck Grima in for the…millennium."

Yarne nodded and turned to back up Severa, who found that the Risen were swarming around their master, "Severa, Lucina's still not back yet, and you're growing weak, I can tell…there's no easy way to end this, but…I have to."

"No, Yarne, you're crazy, I'm not letting you do this! Don't leave me, please."

"Severa, don't cry, especially when you're still flying!"

"It's fine, there's something else flying around here, I caught it with my eye."

"Severa, I'm sorry, I'll try not to, but if Lucina isn't back soon…and if you don't get those cuts healed, then I'll have to-"

"No, Yarne, you're not! I never told you…the reason why I was so snappy at first is because of my parents, when they died in that battle, I had to grow up, it was like I was looking at some older, and I was angry for her sake, but she was scared that like her parents, anyone she got close to would leave her, but me, being the childish audience, didn't want her to fight alone, I knew she wanted friends, but I wouldn't let myself be anyone's friend…not until I was sure they'd stay."

"Severa…I didn't know…I had no idea we were both scared of something brought on by the death of our parents at an early age…I never knew you were so affected-"

"You mean that I didn't care, that I was just snarky by nature? I guess I should have told you, but you always seemed to find some way to keep from carrying your weight, I was just scared that you'd think we were on the same level, when that's actually what it was…your mom and mine both left a legacy that neither of us thought we'd carry, but here I am, on a Pegasus."

"Yeah, well, I think that together we can stand up to anything that has an impact on our lives, past or future."

"Which is strange, because even though we came from the future, we were in its history, even though it was in another world…that's why you can't leave me, Yarne, or I'll remember how angry I used to be that people I cared about, people I loved, could be taken from me."

"I know, but the older Laurent's wards could only hold Grima's dragon form for so long…and Lucina's still fighting her way through the Risen."

"It's almost too late for you, Yarne!" Grima taunted Yarne and held out his arms, "Join me now, and you will grant your friends a painless end."

"Well, Grima, that's why we call them friends, because it's to the end." Yarne said, and leapt forward, the Fell Dragon and Severa both telling Yarne to stop, to reconsider, he didn't ignore their yells, but he saw the battle and his choices, the Risen were blocking Lucina's progress, and he could feel as though he were aiming an attack on Severa, but he had only briefly considered that it was his link to Grima that allowed him to sense that, he also saw how tired the others were, and with his friends imperiled his thoughts blurred, if anything was clear it was that he was pressured to act, and the Risen were relentless, so his left ear pointed up, Severa saw on his ear the Mark of Grima and bowed her head in resignation, and everyone heard Yarne's voice, including Grima, as his body slowly disintegrated, "You were and ever will be my friends and my warren, please, don't ever forget that."

Severa kept her focus on the ground clenching the reins of her mount. She felt someone reach up to her shoulder, then realized that they saw her crying, she looked down to find Cordelia looking up worriedly at her, "I know he's not gone…his dad was able to come back…he will too, right?"

"I hope so, Severa, I can't begin to imagine how you must be feeling."

"You can begin, losing your friends like you did…not even knowing what they thought of you…you told me once, you know? In the future you'd always look back, as though something was missing, I now I know what you was looking for…why them, right? That's what I really want to know."

"Come here, you shouldn't try to keep yourself in the saddle when you're feeling down."

"I don't think I can, I feel like I suddenly appeared here."

"It'll become easier to dismount you Pegasus as you practice, and even if you get bruised in the fall, it'll be better than being stuck."

"You're right, he wouldn't want me stuck in the air like this."

"No, I didn't mean to have a second meaning to that, I just-"

"No I mean, in the literal sense…but yeah, there could be a second." She said as her mother from the present helped her off the Pegasus. She turned to Morgan and scratched her head, "I don't know how to say this-"

"It's fine, he was your boyfriend and my brother, I can imagine that it's around equally hard for both of us."

"He was your brother for longer, though."

"Yes, he was…but for some reason, I don't feel like he's left…I should be crying, but I'm not."

"It might just be me, I'm not good at losing."

"Me neither, but we both deal with it differently."

"I think he's here…he's not gone too far, I feel like he's right behind me…but behind me has taken on a different meaning…like in a different world."

"Maybe it's just my delusions…but…Tiki, over here! Where can Naga open a portal to the other world?"

"I'll understand, everyone, follow me to the Table, Chrom, you are the Awakener, and though the Fire Emblem's purpose is fulfilled," Tiki explained, "she will still appear, but only if you lay Falchion on the Table."

"Right," Chrom replied, following the Voice of Naga to the Dragon's Table, "everyone, follow me!"

"Awakener, what need have you to come here, and why were you here, to be captured by those villains, did you know of Grima's return from the other realm?"

"Well, that's the thing," he said offhandedly, "we didn't know, but are children, who you…or, rather, the you from the future…or some alternate timeline in which our world was in ruins…by our world I mean a world where we were in it but didn't…make it…uh…Lucina, I don't think I'm explaining it well."

"Lady Naga, I am Chrom's daughter, but not this Chrom…this world has a…twin, so to speak…I came from there with my friends, a ruined future in which all hope was lost, Grima returned, my…our parents were killed, the Shepherds were all dead…we believe that one who was with us might be there…Yarne was his name…he slew the Grima from the other world from which we came, is that at all possible?"

"I was also from that world, in a manner of speaking." The great Divine Dragon spoke, "from that world I came, fearing for the last humans, I opened a rift in time to allow you go back, I warned you that the future may not exist…Grima was bound to that realm, anyone with the Heart of Grima who kills Grima will almost irrefutably share his fate…a return to Grima's final resting place in that world may not be impossible."

"No!" Severa screamed at the dragon, she tried not to say them, but the words soared through the air before she could question them. Everyone had sensed Naga's presence, when Chrom awakened Naga they felt her presence, and now that presence was tense in the air. Severa grimaced as she wondered what would happen next.

"You speak so boldly, child," Naga said calmly, "as though you have seen it yourself."

"Yes, but that's what I am, just a child, just please help me find Yarne, tell me if he's okay, please!"

"Very bold…but then you waver, if you are uncertain of yourself then I cannot be sure of his fate…but if you want him to still be here, then I am certain that your words are…evidence of a strong bond that may be yet enough to hold him…be brave for whatever you find…but as for the world in which your parents were buried…it is no longer, Grima consumed it, here was next, as the world's time was linked with this one…and then he failed, your dark future is no more…ah! Yarne?! Here? No, that…this world…I am…leaving…to the future I belong? Ah! You can't go back, but you can still go forward…Yarne is forward…an you are in it." A portal opened up where the one Grima came from had appeared, where the one Naga had opened in the future appeared, and a white mist flew from the Table to the portal, and Naga's voice was heard through the room once more, "I…cannot remember…what you thirteen are doing here." She said, as Lucina, Morgan, Severa, Noire, Kjelle, Nah, Cynthia, Brady, Gerome, Owain, Laurent, Inigo, and Yen'fay began to slowly fade away, leaving the Shepherds to wonder what had happened.

"So, Chrom," his tactician began, "what do you make of this?"

"I don't know…they were there and now they aren't…maybe they were telling us what not to do as parents."

"Yeah, don't go dying on your kids…hmm?"

"You don't buy it?"

"Not at all, they were here with a specific purpose in mind, but they weren't from our time…yet they will be…this is weird."

"Remind me to never go time travelling…we killed Validar, yes?"

"Yes, but someone's out there…pulling strings."

"I've sent Stahl on a secret mission, Cordelia's guarding the streets, Vaike is on his home town, protecting it, Gaius is breaking into suspicious back accounts to investigate the politicians we've suspected…without taking any of their money, or at least so I ordered him."

"I saw Maribelle working on law stuff earlier, Sumia's helping Cordelia to patrol and keep on top of training new recruits, we're going to have a much bigger Royal Pegasus Knight Guard before the year's done. Oh, did I mention I ran into Frederick, apparently he and Kellam are your main guard now? I should be kept on top of things around here, you know?"

"Yes, but you worry so much about these things as it is, not as much as Frederick, for which I am thankful, but still, you worry enough to worry me, what'll I do if my tactician falls ill right before an attack? What will I do if Panne asks why I pushed her husband in his work?"

"If it's you, the call Maribelle and take the enemy to court; but if it's Panne…pick a god and pray. Anyways, Olivia wrote to me and said that Flavia and Basilio were paying for her wartime duties, fighting and such, she says they're being excessive and that she really wants to use the money for the stage I was talking to you about, the theatre, well, I told her she might as well name it after the two Khans, and you know what she replied to with? She said she'd call it 'Toucan's' like the tropical bird."

"No way."

"Yes, way, way, in fact, I was surprised, but before I could send a response I received an envelope, inviting Panne and I to the Toucan's Theatre."

"Frederick read a letter like that, he thought it looked suspicious, but I told him there was nothing to it…looks like I was right."

"Yep…what about Sulley?"

"Last I heard she was enjoying the title of knight, I say enjoying because she never considered herself as such until yesterday, she said she felt she could receive the title, and wanted to undergo the knighting ceremony, yesterday was the day."

"Yeah, I was there…right next to you."

"Well, I didn't mean to insult your intelligence, but I meant that other than that, I have no idea what she's up to."

"Too late, intelligence insulted…anyways, did you hear about Henry."

"Please tell me he isn't instigating another war."

"Nothing so dire, Chrom, he's actually changed a bit…I didn't think it was possible, but the change started after we put Grima to sleep…he became less obsessed about blood, but after that incident with the children being transported, he's gone into horror fiction, he's a writer…and Maribelle's loaned her press to him for the purposes of publishing."

"The scary part?"

"He's…actually really good…it's about this guy who kills some guy and he…he…it's almost too terrible for words…he chops up the body-!"

"He eats the pieces?!"

"No, worse, he hides them in the floorboard, the guy reminds me of Henry, the way he talks so kindly to the officers, so calm, but on the inside…he's scared, and ends up confessing to everything!"

"Well, that's a relief…I think."

"Yeah, enough of that, what's up with Ricken, he's your assistant, right?"

"Yep, he's my Court Mage, he also insists that he's a part of my guard, so he's been…like a miniature Frederick…I honestly think I'll go crazy, between the two of them!"

"Ha, ha, ha, I'm sorry, that was an overreaction, yes? That glare means no, right?"

"Yeah, we're talking about something else, before you remember that poster of me Frederick decorated the camp with."

"I know, those muscles were such exaggerations, Vaike's way bulkier than you!"

"You…must have gotten double amnesia…whatever, as long as you can't remember that."

"Your face is red, should I call your sister, or perhaps your wife?"

"No…I'm fine, just dueling with embarrassing thoughts."

"Wait, I thought Miriel was your Court Mage."

"Well, she decided that Ricken was a good assistant to her, and then said he could be a Court Mage as well, saying that she wants some time to study so her son will have a lot of applications to discover…she also said that she'd train our new mages between studies, and Ricken really had nothing to do, so we have him until he decides whether or not to keep the good."

"The kid really looks up to you."

"I know…have you seen Lissa?"

"She's in your office, Ricken said he could watch and make sure she didn't sign anything."

"I guess that's fine, she really wants to help, always trying to be more like Emmeryn…last I checked she was in the castle gardens."

"She came in with me and Panne, Panne can't stop talking about how cruel she was when they meet that one time, Emmeryn keeps telling her it's alright, but Panne tells her that's just because she can't remember."

"Hmm, in some ways she reminds me of myself…Panne and I both lost something, but even when I found Emmeryn…it still wasn't the same, but I have no right to complain, she's alive, and maybe better that she doesn't remember some of the hardships she suffered as a young Exalt."

"Maybe…I'm glad she's happy here at the castle though."

"Emmeryn?"

"Yeah, I always admired her, but maybe she could be happier now, knowing nothing of the terrible past."

"If only _I_ could travel back…perhaps I can, but it would alter what has happened here."

"Agreed, for now we should just leave the past alone, even if it doesn't return the favor."

"I've been thinking…Aversa has a lot in common with my sister, painful pasts, did you ever talk with Aversa about Emmeryn?"

"No...but she has been travelling with a certain merchant, keeping her safe from bandit attacks…they've tried to sell me some lotion, and I we didn't speak much about her…she apologized and I told her that I was as guilty as she was, afterwards the only things I heard was sales pitches and 'Big Brother', between the two of them, I was fairly annoyed about three minutes into shopping."

"Probably for the best…she wasn't in complete control of her actions."

"We're both guilty for what has happened."

"Both of you regret it, though, and that's enough."

"Well…what about Nowi, has she flown away and left us alone?"

"Under the watch of Tiki, I think having another Manakete around makes them feel less like they're…alone, in a way."

"I agree, they both lived a long time…last I heard they were navigating the skies of…all over the place."

"Hmm, Nowi likes exploring, then?"

"Can't seem to keep still, kind of like Basilio and Gregor, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but what about Gregor, he said he'd stick around until we were done, we're not done yet! We still have to rebuild."

"He's actually working a few odd jobs…mountain lions and whatnot, he's raising funds for us."

"Wow…that's really generous."

"I know, right? Kind of like Libra."

"I have heard he set up healing stations all over the place."

"Yeah, and guess who's helping him? I'll give you a hint: She stalked me…a lot."

"No way, Tharja?"

"She says that she's bored of killing things now, but I suspect she casts the odd hex here and there…so some visitors return shortly after."

"She's an odd one…how about Say'ri?"

"Doing well, a lot of the Valm Empire is still tangled together, after all the roads Walhart rebuilt to supply his forces, but he hasn't been in charge since he was defeated, so she's ruling the empire now, though, after her brother vanished…she has been a little absent minded, I mean, he had only just gotten here, but I guess she's managing. Oh, and by the way, Virion is a little more than kind of upset that his kingdom is still not fully in his control, but she told him that the local houses would still maintain prewar status, so hopefully he can get over it now."

"Speaking of Virion, what about Cherche?"

"She's at Wyvern Valley, she's made the world a safer place for wyverns…Nowi and Tiki often drop by to lend a hand."

"What of Anna, as I recall, she had sisters."

"Yes, and Anna…has set up an orphanage…unfortunately, Priam could sell the kids the stories better, but poor girl, she tries."

"I'm sure Priam would help if he wasn't busy being the main muscle behind the restoration effort."

"Fortunately Aversa's there, they decided that she would be the witch while Anna's the sweet little adventurer who stumbles upon the witch, then Anna haggles the hag…it's fairly original."

"I thought Anna was still in the merchant business?"

"She works nearby, trying to keep enough money to spend on the orphans."

"She's always been a planner, huh?"

"I guess so. Hey, where's Gangrel?"

"He's helping Gaius in the investigation."

"Where's Donnel, then?"

"Managing his old village, he's trying to expand it with the gold you gave him for helping in the war."

"Yes, and he has spoken with Ricken, right? Anyways, is Walhart also doing well, has he found the path he strayed from?"

"He's opened a new restaurant and named it after you."

"Well…hopefully not my name and all."

"No, it's something else…I can't recall the name, though."

"Well, how's baby Lucina?"

"As opposed to grown up Lucina from the future? She's doing well, but how's Panne, I heard she was searching for other Taguel."

"She's found a few, but they weren't the most accepting…she felt excluded for a long time, I can't imagine how that must have felt…but a lot of times, when I'd loss control of myself, and Validar would control me, I would feel this heavy feeling in my stomach, I think that's close to what she felt."

"Yeah, you know, you and Panne haven't seen Lucina in a while, huh?"

"Yeah, has she spoken yet?"

"Well, if her first word and her future version are any indications, we have an eavesdropper in the family, but I swear she gets it from her mother."

"Oh, yeah, what was her first word?"

"What did we talk about last time you and Panne were there? I'll give you a hint, Lucina is the Exalt, and…you need me to tell you, fine, her first word was…"

"Morgan!" Yarne yelled as she appeared in the marble hall in the caverns within Mount Prism.

"No way!" she said happily, "I thought we'd have to hunt you down like we did Father!"

"Step aside, Morgan!" Severa ran pass her and smiled at Yarne, "Hey, Yarne, it's good to see you here."

"Yeah, sorry for back then."

"That was years ago, back when our parents were young…where are we now?"

"Well, we're in a future…not the same one we came from, but one we built with our parents…and each other. As far as everyone else knows, this is the day when we and our parents slew Grima…Naga, what all has happened, are our parents…dead?"

"No," Naga replied, "they have survived, but your counterparts…do not know about you, you've hidden sealed in this place for a decade, you are legends, but with no time…you cannot regain your lost world...Grima is dead, though, not even his bones remain."

"That…that's not bad…the Shepherds survived, right?" Severa asked, "So we won, the future is secure, we can't go back to where we came from, but we're all okay, so let's celebrate!"

"Who are you and," Noire began, "what have you done with Severa?"

"Hey, I just feel really good right now, okay? It's that time travel; it's gotten me so disorientated."

"Let's visit the Shepherds." Lucina said, smiling, so they began in that direction, but Naga began speaking, and it was decided that they would teleport instead.

"Morgan," Lucina shook her head as her friend's counterpart took a tactical book away from Morgan's dad, "how can I tell you how many times I put my life in your hands?"

"Well, tell me," the younger Morgan began, "did I look cool leading you in and out of danger?"

"Well, Morgan from my time," Lucina turned to her younger self, who was saving Yarne from himself, "did you look cool?"

"Not as cool as Father, never as cool as Father." Was the reply, younger Morgan shook her head, "That was my line, older me."

"Well, excuse me, you, but I was using that line when you were still in diapers…you know what, you weren't even born then! So, Father, have you been honing your skills? I'd love to play chess with you!"

"Really, this Morgan prefers tactical board games instead, she's really quite good at it."

"Oh, well, Father, you forgot to tell her how many times she destroyed you in the future…oops, I'm the only one of the three of us with the benefit of hindsight here, sorry…um, let me tell you this, Morgan…younger me, you are going to be the best tactician ever, but watch out for your little brother, okay? I'm not telling you to protect him or anything, but he's…a lot braver in this timeline…I guess you're more reserved though, huh?"

"Not by much, let's play, I keep the board game set out at all times, just in case!"

"Great!" she left the room with her younger self, and Yarne turned back and shook his head, "She's really good, especially watch out for the Gale Force attack!"

"Hey, Yarne, don't tell my older self that!" the younger Morgan admonished her younger brother's older self.

"Ha, predictable, you're going down!"

"I was going to say that!"

"Hey, don't fight yourself now, Morgan!" the younger Yarne said, amused by his sister fighting someone who was her, from a different time.

"Hey, little me, look, these are much better than the blocks I played with when I was l was your age, see, these blocks you have now…look exactly the same…where did you get these from?"

"Anna has been crafting blocks for a while now, she gave them to your younger self for his birthday…I wonder where the ones from the future came from."

"I guess it's like Lucina always used to tell us," Yarne's dad said as he sat down his books, "the future really does favor the original path." He sat back and enjoyed the silence, until he heard Morgan yelling at her older self, "Time to tip the scales!"

"My Dark Flier! You…killed my Dark Flier, how could you?!"

"Because your presence is endangering my leader, do you think I want am automatic loss? I'll pass thanks but no takers!"

"Oh, yeah, we'll this is threatening your commander."

"No, I'm pulling him out with my retrieval staff, and then I'll corner you with the mage, my evasion says your high hit rate doesn't stand a chance."

Yarne shook his head, "Some things never change." He looked out the winder and saw the rest of the children from the future beckoning him outside, "Hey, Morgan, it looks like there's another bandit sighting, you coming too?"

"Yep, sorry, squirt, I'm bailing on you!"

"Oh, no you're not, when you get back, you're finished!"

"Oh?"

"Wait…look, before you guys go…I know you're not originally from this time, but…please, you've got to promise to come back, please."

"Hey, we're coming back, though that was a pretty solemn change from your taunting…hey, I'm coming back, how else are you going to beat me?" Morgan smiled at her younger self and waved, then went outside to where Severa was talking to her younger self. The people he had grown up with we slightly different, Severa wasn't angry, but she had no reason to hide grief behind anger, and this time, Yarne had no reason to be afraid, as his mother would train him to be a Taguel warrior, as she had not had the opportunity to in the time he remembered.

"Hey, Severa, we going?"

"Yes, I'm just telling this Severa to stop listening to the idiots telling her she can't be a Pegasus Knight, she apparently lacks natural ability, I told her I had never ridden a Pegasus until the day the Shepherds met Grima from the future, about how I took her by the reins after Mom had been dismounted, I jumped on after taking Brady's staff, and then picked Lucina up and flew to Grima, how I saved you and Morgan by healing you before his breath attack could finish you off, Mom had to help me off, but that's because I was emotionally distressed, anyways, she has no reason to worry, she is going to be one of the best fliers."

Her younger self smiled and let the children from the future go out on their mission, and they would fight many more, and would always return to the castle they called home, the castle that had seen assassinations thwarted, and had seen the eyes of Grima, but would never have to face the Fell Dragon, and the Mark of Grima would never trouble the world again.

**Alright, that's a wrap, buddies! This was for the contest issued by Jane Glass, Yarne was chased by assassins, and they couldn't go home, instead they went to the future and found themselves growing up safe and happy, with their parents. Also, I have successfully paired Yarne with Severa, as well as parallel their fears, so they're one of those pairing I look at and say, "Those two are so like each other", which may have been what I was thinking when my first idea for them came about, they both have fears caused by the death of their parents…and it seemed a good idea to give Yarne the power to ultimately stop Grima, besides, carrot soup*, what more do you need? **

***(Reference to My Unit and Panne's conversations.) KHH sighing out! *sighs, pass out* **

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